Eye Of The Beholder
by GrittyRe-boot
Summary: "Sure he likes me now, he likes the way I talk, he likes the way I sing, he likes spending time with me, but what happens when his sight comes back? What if he sees me for the first time and doesn't like what he sees?" A/U
1. A Face Like Hers

**And I have another AU fic for you lovely people. This isn't so much based on a book as a description of one. I read the plot summary years ago and I never thought about it again until I saw an episode of Hot In Cleveland with a similar premise and I immediately thought that it would make a great Finchel story. If you know what book I'm referencing here please let me know in the comments section so I can give credit where it's due. And for anyone reading _So We Meet Again _another chapter should be up tomorrow.**

She hates looking in the mirror, she's hated it for the last three years. Granted it's a lot easier now than it was the first time the doctors removed the bandages, she no longer feels like crying and throwing things and cursing God for making her this way. She's learned over time to accept the fact that she'll never be pretty again, but accepting it isn't the same as being happy about it. The truth is she wasn't always secure about the way she looked even before, she always thought that her nose was too big, her jaw too strong, her chest too flat. The fact that she used to fret over such minor flaws seems ridiculous to her now.

She dusts a bit of powder over the deep scar running diagonally across her face from her hairline to her cheekbone. Nothing can cover it completely, but the powder mutes the harsh brownish red color a bit, Kurt taught her that. He got mad at her the first time she went outside in sweats with no makeup, because the old Rachel never left the house without looking her best. When she told him she didn't see the point in fixing herself up anymore he got even madder. She started wearing makeup again mostly to get him off her back, but she has to admit it makes her feel better to put on lip gloss, her lips being just as full and pretty as they always were, and although the scar drags one of her eyelids down somewhat, the other is still big and bright, and she likes the way it looks with a bit of eye shadow and mascara. Sometimes it helps to focus on the features that weren't ruined in the accident. She brushes her bangs down over her damaged eye, and fluffs her hair with her fingers. It's as good as she can possibly look anymore. She shrugs at her appearance and grabs her purse. Ready to face another day.

"Mornin' sunshine," Kurt says as she enters their kitchen. Kurt had been her rock since she moved to New York seven years ago, they were both new to the city then and ready to take it by storm, her as Broadway's biggest sensation, him as the ultimate rock star of the fashion world. How much things had changed since then. Being a personal shopper certainly wasn't where Kurt wanted to be at this point in his life, and although Rachel was loved for her voice, it wasn't in quite the way she always dreamed of as a child.

"Did you have fun last night?" Rachel says, raising her eyebrows suggestively at her roommate as she pours a thermos of coffee for herself.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he says unconvincingly.

"Kurt, I heard you last night," She says teasingly, making him blush a little at the accusation. "Was it dreamboat Blaine from Nieman Marcus?"

"Rachel I do not have to tell you every little thing that goes on in my life," Kurt says, rolling his eyes.

"Oh my god, it was him," Rachel says excitedly. "Tell me everything."

"Why don't you ask him yourself," Kurt says, nodding toward the hallway, and instead of immediately looking where Kurt is looking she keeps her head down a little as she slowly turns to look. She had heard a lot about Blaine the struggling musician slash menswear salesmen. And Kurt was right on the money with his description of Blaine's mildly exotic good looks.

"My ears are burning," a raven haired, young man with honey-hued eyes and thick eyebrows says as he enters the kitchen dressed in only Kurt's robe. "You must be the roommate."

"Rachel," she says, extending a hand for him to shake as she keeps her head down.

"Whatever's on the floor must be really interesting," Blaine says, commenting on her lack of eye contact.

"She's just self conscious about her scar," Kurt says as if she can't hear him, and at that she takes a deep breath and looks Kurt's guest in the eye, raising her head slowly. He reacts the way people usually do at the sight of her, wordlessly with a thinly veiled look of sympathy.

"I keep telling her it's not nearly as bad as she thinks," Kurt says.

"Kurt's right," Blaine says unconvincingly. "I mean, you can still tell how pretty you are."

_He means how pretty I used to be_, she thinks silently to herself as she gives him a weak smile. "Well, it was lovely to meet you Blaine. I wish I could stay and interrogate you more about your rendevous last night but I have work.

"Ah yes, you can't leave the children waiting," Blaine says, clearly Kurt had told him a lot about his semi-famous roommate.

"I voice a cartoon character, the children are going to have to wait three months regardless of when I get to the studio today," Rachel replies. At that she gives Kurt a hug and a kiss on the cheek and says goodbye to Blaine before leaving her apartment.

* * *

The truth is, in spite of the crushing realization that she'll never make it big on Broadway with a face like hers, she's somewhat excited about her career for once. Working on the second season of _Imaginationville_, a cartoon show considered by many kids and critics alike to be the next _Animaniacs_, has been nothing but a joy from the get-go. Knowing that the same children who look away in fear when they see her on the street squeal in delight at the sound of her voice every Saturday morning brings her comfort in a way, it helps that Sally the seal gets to sing practically every episode.

She reads the script as she waits for Puckerman to come to the studio, for him right on time is early and ten minutes late is right on time.

"Sup Berry, hope your pipes are ready," Puckerman says as he comes in, ten minutes late of course. He hardly looks like the type of person who would work on a children's cartoon show, even one as filled to the brim with double entendres only adults would catch as _Imaginationville_ is. He's a strong, broad man with tattoos decorating his olive skin, and a constant five o'clock shadow, when she first met him he had a Mohawk, but he had since traded it in for a shaved head that she found much more attractive, if just as inappropriately dangerous looking.

"I see you're late as usual," Rachel says humorlessly as she gets up from her seat, closing the script.

"What are you talking about I'm right on time," He scoffs. "Besides I had a bit of a crazy night."

By the look in his eye she can tell he means sex and she really wishes that he would stop offering information about his various exploits without her asking.

"So I'm guessing the crazy night in question had something to do with a certain hot blonde who still refuses to refer to herself as your girlfriend," Rachel says.

"I don't get it," he groans in frustration. "I pulled all of my best moves last night. Do you think I should offer her studio time?"

"She's a teacher."

"Yeah, a drama teacher, meaning at one point she wanted to be an actress, meaning on some level she wants to be famous."

"Isn't that a little cheap?"

"Hey it works sometimes."

"Look Noah, if you want Quinn to be your girlfriend then maybe you should stop approaching her as if she's some conquest rather than a person with feelings."

"You're one to talk," He says defensively. "When's the last time you've been on a date?"

"Okay, changing the subject," she says, heading for her seat in the recording booth as Noah takes his seat in front of the various audio instruments. "Try to go a little easier on the pitch this time, we're not making a chipmunk cartoon."

"I'm serious Berry," He says into the mic. "You're a total catch, you're smart, you're talented, you have a great ass, you should be getting some sort of play."

"What makes you think I don't?" she says into her microphone.

"I can always tell whether someone is getting laid or not, it's a gift," he says proudly.

"That's some gift," she says sarcastically.

"I'm serious Berry," He presses on. "I'm tired of these one-sided night before conversations."

"What do you know, so am I," she says snarkily.

"I'm just sayin-

"I know what you're saying," she says, cutting him off. "The same thing people have been telling me for three years, that there's someone out there for me and I just need to be open to love, or like you like to call it, screwing, well guess what, girls who look like me don't get what you so delicately refer to as play Noah."

"Come on Rach your face isn't that bad, I think it bothers you more than anyone else."

"Oh really?" She says. "Do _you_ want to go out with me?"

His hesitance at the question is all the response she needs, yet he tries to form words anyway. "Well you know, I have this thing going with Quinn but-"

"Can we just get on with the recording, before I report you for sexual harassment?" She says, putting on her headphones.

"Yeah, we should probably get started," he says a bit defeatedly. She knows that Noah is just trying to help, and in spite of his boorishness he's a good friend, but the last thing she wanted to talk about was why she wasn't dating. Just like she accepted that she would never be on Broadway again, she also accepted that she would probably never date again either. Men just didn't look at her that way anymore, in fact, most of the time they avoided looking at her at all. She wasn't the type of girl that men bought drinks for at the bar, or asked on dates or even talked to in general really. She wasn't the type of girl that made handsome bad boys like Noah Puckerman want to change their ways. A couple of dates with a perfect blonde stunner like Quinn Fabray and he was already ready to give up the game for good, Rachel knew that she would never be that girl, not for anyone.

* * *

After a long day of nonstop talking into the mic Rachel is anxious to get home and relax her throat with a nice cup of hot tea, it's Saturday which means she'll have the house to herself, sometimes Kurt having a far more active social life than she does has its benefits. But when she turns the key in the lock and lets herself in she realizes that she doesn't hear Kurt's usual primping to go out music, she doesn't smell hairspray and she doesn't see a dress that he has laid out for her in what will surely be a fruitless attempt to get her to go out with him, she just sees him pacing the floor, his cell phone grasped tightly to his ear, a suitcase laying open on the floor with a few pieces of clothing thrown haphazardly inside.

"Well, is he awake?" Kurt says, tears in his throat. "But what? What's the but?"

"What happened?" Rachel says, noticing the tears flooding his blue eyes, but he puts up one finger, silencing her.

"Well I'm coming down there," Kurt continues into the phone. "He's my brother, do you really think you're going to keep me away? I have to make sure he's alright. Okay Carole, I'll be there as soon as I can, give Finn a hug for me and tell him everything's going to be okay… alright, I love you too," he presses end on the phone and faces Rachel, her face is confused and his is worried and sad.

"Kurt, what happened to your brother?" Rachel says. She's never met Kurt's brother, due to him having spent the last few years in London studying acting, but the last she heard he had returned home to Ohio for a potential job with the Kent State theatre arts department after his girlfriend Santana revealed that she was in love with another woman and broke up with him, and now he had apparently been in some sort of accident, it was a tough year for Finn to say the least.

"He was taking a tour of the university theatre and there was a horrible accident," Kurt says sniffling. "One of the stage lights fell and broke his skull, and the doctors were saying something about brain damage and… oh god Rachel I'm freaking out!"

"Oh my god Kurt I'm so sorry," she says sympathetically. "Do they know how bad it is yet?"

"He's awake, he's talking" Kurt says. "But he has some minor memory loss and…"

"And what?" Rachel says, gently urging him on.

"He can't see anything, he's completely blind Rachel."

"Oh no, that's terrible," Rachel says, putting her hand over her mouth. She doesn't know Kurt's brother, but she knows how much Kurt loves him by the way he talks about him, and she knows he must be worried sick.

"I have to go to Ohio," Kurt says, wiping at his tears.

"Of course," Rachel says sympathetically, at that she hugs her roommate and friend, letting him hug her back.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Kurt says. "I called my job, they understand.

"Take as much time as you need Kurt," she says, breaking the hug. "I'll help you pack."

He nods and forces a weak smile. "He's going to be okay though isn't he? I'm just worried about nothing right?"

She knows Kurt doesn't expect her to have a real answer for that, he just needs to hear some comforting words, so she offers them. "Kurt, I'm sure he'll be just fine."

**Stay Tuned Folks!**


	2. Welcome to the City

He keeps opening and shutting his eyes, over and over again, hoping for some change, a shape or something. Nothing happens. He waves his hand over his face, hoping to sense the movement, nothing. He can hear the nurse shuffle around the room and the heaving sobs of his mother, and the gentle whispers of his stepfather trying to calm her down, it's his only way of knowing that he's not alone, but he feels alone, not to mention helpless. He remembers what the doctor said, "There is a good possibility that you'll regain your sight over time," Which of course meant that there was a small possibility that he wouldn't, that he would be stuck like this forever. The thought brings tears to his no longer functioning eyes and he wipes them away quickly. He really doesn't like hearing his mother cry, it's just as bad as seeing her cry somehow, and he knows that him crying will just make her want to cry even more.

"Son?" It's Burt, he's known him more than long enough to recognize his voice. Finn doesn't feel like talking but he can hardly look at him in response, he doesn't even know where to look, so instead he lets out a barely audible "yeah Burt."

"Your brother is here to see you, he flew in from New York just for you."

"He didn't have to," Finn says quietly.

"The hell I didn't," The sound of Kurt's gentle voice instantly puts him in a better mood, which is odd considering that he didn't think anything could. He didn't hear him come in, maybe his heightened senses would kick in later.

"Oh Finn," Kurt says. Tears in his throat as he very gently touches Finn's bandaged head. "How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

"Only a little," Finn replies. "Whatever they gave me is doing it's job."

"That's good, I'm glad Finn," Kurt responds, his voice still choked. He can't see him but he can imagine what he must look like right now. Kurt was always perfectly groomed and styled no matter what the occasion was, but right now he sounds… disheveled. He listens to Kurt's voice and pictures his hair in disarray and his pale, fine skin red and blotchy, there's a possibility that his outfit isn't perfectly coordinated either.

"My god son you look like hell," Burt says to Kurt, confirming Finn's suspicions.

"Would you lay off, I'm upset," Kurt shoots back.

"Don't be upset," Finn says reaching for Kurt's hand, and instead hitting the IV pole, Kurt frantically does the work for him, grabbing Finn's big, rough hand in his smooth one. "I'm okay, I promise."

"How's your memory?" Kurt says, sniffling.

"It's just little things," Finn responds. "Like the lyrics to Enter Sandman, I've known that song since I was twelve."

"Well I'm sure it will come back to you," Kurt says, trying to sound as comforting as possible even though his voice is still choked with tears. "I'm sure everything will come back to you."

Finn can tell that Kurt's words have a double meaning and he nods a little and forces a weak smile.

"How long do you have to stay?" Kurt continues.

"The doctors say my condition is stable, it'll probably be about a week or two," Finn says. He knows that he's not showing as much emotion about this whole thing as he should, the feelings are there somewhere, the feelings that brought tears to his eyes for a half second, but he feels better not dwelling on them.

"A week for a brain injury?" Kurt says sounding almost offended.

"I still have to attend therapy almost every day, I just don't want to be stuck in this place Kurt, I'm sure you can understand that."

"Of course I understand, but Finn are you sure that's good for you?"

"Kurt, try to give Finn a break he's been through enough," Burt says, and he hasn't spoken in so long that Finn forgot that he was there.

"It's okay Burt, he's just worried," Finn says, Kurt always worried about Finn more than anyone else, except maybe his mom, Finn has always secretly thought that it was because he liked being dramatic, but he knows it's also because he cares about him a lot. He remembers senior year of high school when his appendix burst on the football field, after he got out of the hospital Kurt spent the next week bringing him warm milk and his favorite films on DVD. And after Santana broke up with him he Skyped with him for hours just to listen to him mope and proceeded to send him an edible arrangement and a dartboard with Santana's pretty face on it. He would never admit how much he appreciated the sentiment, because anyone looking in would think they had the weirdest brotherly relationship in existence, but deep down he kind of loved him for it.

"Where are you going to go?" Kurt says, and he sounds like he's pulling himself together a little. "You can't go back to England all alone."

"I know that Kurt, I can't even afford the place anymore since Santana went back to Spain with her new girlfriend," He says, hints of bitterness still in his voice. "I guess I'll figure something out."

"There's nothing to figure out," Finn's mom Carole says, her voice still thick with tears. "You're going to DC with us, I won't take no for an answer."

They can all tell that he's not in love with the idea, but it's not as if he has much of a choice in the matter. He's a man without a home.

"Carole, doesn't Finn get some sort of say in this?" Kurt says carefully.

"He can't see Kurt," Carole says, stating the obvious. "He's going to need someone to help him adjust."

"Adjust?" Finn says, his voice rising slightly in pitch, he doesn't want to adjust, learning to adjust means that he'll be stuck this way forever, and he's not ready to deal with that possibility yet.

"She only means that you're going to need someone to help you around the house," Burt explains. And as the reality of the situation continues to dawn on him his breathing speeds up a little and tears prickle in his eyes again. He didn't even take the time to consider what being blind would mean for him when he left the hospital, would he constantly be knocking into everything? Would they give him a dog? Would they make him give the dog back if his sight returned? Would he get to name it or would he already have one? Somehow thinking about getting a dog calms him down a little, maybe because it's the most frivolous possible concern in regards to his condition.

"Look Finn, nobody wants to make you do anything you don't want to do," Burt says.

"Burt what are you doing, of course he's going to stay with us," Carole seethes, and somehow Finn can hear his mother's panicked expression.

"I didn't say I didn't want to," Finn says. "It's just, this is all happening a little fast. I'm not even out of the hospital yet, can't we talk about this later?"

"Honey, the sooner we figure all of this out the better," Carole says, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Carole, Finn's right, this is all too much right now," Kurt says gently. And Finn imagines Kurt has his hand placed gently on her shoulder right now, it's what he always does when trying to reason with his mother.

"Okay, we don't have to talk about it now," Carole says. "We'll figure this out together sweetheart I promise," At that Finn feels his mother kiss his forehead, and he forces a nervous smile, he's not sure if he'll ever get used to people touching him without warning.

"Carole, maybe we should give him some space," Burt says, probably noticing the look of discomfort on Finn's face. "What do you say we head back to the hotel for a little bit, get some rest, visiting hours are almost over anyway."

"Visiting hours aren't over for almost an hour," Carole protests.

"Carole, if it's okay I wanted to talk to Kurt alone for a little bit," Finn says.

"Okay," Carole says after some hesitation. "But we'll be back first thing tomorrow okay?" They both hug him at that point, making his body tense a little at the contact, maybe he should bring up the fact that a bit of heads up would be nice. It takes a good ten minutes for Burt and Carole to actually leave the room, but once they do he sighs in relief a bit.

"I'm sorry Finn, I know your mom can be a bit much."

"She's just worried. Besides, you're just as bad."

"Yeah but when I do it it's cute," Kurt argues. "So, how are you feeling?"

"Alright I guess," Finn says, shrugging.

"Well you seem to be taking it well," Kurt says. "I'm not sure if that's a good sign or not."

"Well the doctors said that my vision could return," Finn says. "I'm just trying to hold on to a little hope is all."

Finn can tell that Kurt wants to say something, but he bites back his words, which Finn appreciates, he knows what Kurt wants to say, that he should prepare for the worst, but there's just no point in trying to give him advice right now "Listen Finn, I know I said that we shouldn't talk about it right now, and you don't have to give me an answer right away, but…"

"But what?" Finn says softly.

"You always have a place with me, in New York, you know, if you want it."

"Really?" Finn says, and the truth is the idea of staying with Kurt while he recovers is far preferable to the alternative of moving back in with his parents, in a town where he doesn't know anyone his age, where his mother will pretty much always be around. At least Kurt would be out of the apartment a good deal of the time, and his roommate…

"Wait, what about your roommate?" Finn says. "What's her name, Rebecca?"

"Rachel," Kurt corrects. "Don't worry about her, as long as you're not better than her at anything she's a big softy. Besides, I'm sure she'd love to have another person there to bake for."

He knits his brow in contemplation, the idea really doesn't sound half bad, the only problem was getting his mother to go for it.

"Thanks Kurt, I'll think about it," Finn says.

"Okay, no pressure," Kurt says and Finn can hear his voice breaking again. "I'm just so glad you're alive, I don't know what I'd do without my big brother."

To be honest, he doesn't know what he'd do without Kurt either.

The battle that ensues when Finn brings up going to New York with Kurt is more intense than he ever could have expected. It's like the England conversation all over again only so much worse, at least back then he could still see. But after two straight hours of arguing and another three of the silent treatment, his mother finally budges. It takes finding the best neurologist New York has to offer and an agreement that she could visit every weekend for her to finally give the okay for him to go, and although having to get permission from his mother makes him feel like he's six as opposed to twenty six he's glad to have won this battle, After ten days in the hospital Finn catches the plane to his new home for the indefinite future. They discussed everything with the airline, about his condition and the assistance he would need getting into the city. Although Kurt couldn't take more than three days off of work initially he cleared it with his boss to get an additional day to pick him up from the airport and get him settled in the apartment.

He's only been to New York once, it was during a layover on his first plane trip to England. He hadn't even left the airport, now as he rides a cab through the city he wishes he could have taken the time to explore during those four hours. He hates not being able to see any of the sights, and he can tell by Kurt's silence that if he could see he would be excitedly pointing out all of the sights to him.

"So, how was your flight?" Kurt says lamely.

"It was okay," Finn says shrugging. "The seats are way more comfortable in first class."

"Do you like that book on CD I got you?" he continues

"Um…"

"You didn't listen to it did you?" Kurt deduces.

"Well I was going to but…"

"Let me guess, listening to books on tape just screams blind guy to you?" Kurt says sympathetically.

"I'm sorry Kurt I'll listen to it, I promise."

"You don't have to," Kurt says. "I just thought you would like it… especially the part where the guys dead wife comes back to life and starts stalking him across America."

"Seriously?" Finn says.

"Oh yeah, Gaiman has a pretty sick mind."

"Okay, maybe I'll check it out when you're at work tomorrow," Finn says shrugging.

"You won't regret it."

"So is the roommate home?"

"Yeah, she's been cleaning and baking all day, I think she's excited about meeting my famous brother."

"Famous huh? Just how much did you tell her about me?" Finn says.

"Just that you're twenty six, tall, single, attractive in an unrefined sort of way, and that you're a classically trained Shakesperean actor."

"Wait a minute," Finn says, knitting his brow. "You're not trying to set me up with your roommate are you?"

"What? Of course not, most of the stuff I told her was while you were still dating Santana, besides, if I were trying to set you guys up I wouldn't have mentioned that you don't understand half of the plays you've performed."

"I do too understand them," Finn says defensively.

"Without Cliff Notes?" Kurt continues.

"Well no but come on, I'm sure even Shakespeare had to use Cliff Notes every now and then, or you know whatever the equivalent was in the 1800's or whatever."

"Wow, how you survived there let alone thrived for seven years I'll never know," Kurt says, and Finn chuckles a little, happy to know that things can still be normal between them on some level.

"Trust me, I'm not trying to set you up with Rachel," Kurt continues. "But you should get to know her while you're here, I think you'll really like her. And god knows she needs more friends."

"Why doesn't she have any friends?" Finn says.

"She has friends," Kurt corrects. "She could just use more of them."

They arrive at Kurt's apartment as around noon, and Kurt is careful helping him out of the car. They didn't give Finn a dog, but they taught him how to use a red tipped cane to get around. It works well enough at warning him before he runs into something, and they also showed Kurt how to guide him around, Finn places one hand on his brother's shoulder and waves the cane in front of him with the other as they make their way to the apartment.

As he enters he is immediately bombarded with the smell of cookies, and the sound of the sweetest voice he's ever heard very loudly and slowly greeting him.

"HELLO… I'M RACHEL BERRY… IT IS VERY NICE TO MEET YOU… I HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT YOU… I AM GOING TO SHAKE YOUR HAND NOW." He removes his hand from Kurt's shoulder and offers it to her, and she shakes it firmly with her petal soft hand, and it makes him smile a little. "PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME… WHAT'S OURS IS YOURS… WE WILL BOTH DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO-

"Rachel, Rachel stop," Kurt says frantically. "He's not deaf hon. Although he might be _now_."

"Oh, I'm sorry, "she says sheepishly, her voice lowered to a more normal volume. "Oh I made you 'welcome to the city' cookies. They're on the table, I can guide you there if you'd like.

"Um I think I can manage," Finn says, and he starts forward.

"Finn, your headed toward the living room, to the left… the other left… that's it." After a few moments with some verbal guidance from Kurt he reaches the table and fruitlessly feels around for the plate of cookies, he can hear her slide the plate over to where he can find them and he shoots her a grateful smile even though he could very well be smiling at the chair. He takes a cookie and bites into it. It's still warm and chewy, and crumbly and filled to the brim with rich milk chocolate chips.

"These are really good," he says, smiling at her.

"Thank you, you can have as many as you like," she says sweetly, and he really likes this girl's voice, it's sweet and feminine and loud and clear, not to mention extremely familiar.

"Your voice, I feel like I've heard it somewhere before," Finn says.

"That's probably because you have," Kurt says. "Rachel here voices a character on _Imagingationville_."

"That's it!" Finn says. "Sally the seal, I love that show."

"He only looks like an adult," Kurt says snarkily.

"Don't be mean Kurt, plenty of adults love _Imaginationville_," Rachel says. "Glad to know you're a fan."

"Actually I think you told me something about being roommates with the _Imaginationville_ girl," Finn says. "I must've forgotten."

"I only mentioned it in passing," Kurt says.

"Well Rachel Berry, it's nice to hear your voice outside of the show," he says. And he thinks it's kind of nice to hear her voice period, he wonders to himself if she's as pretty as she sounds.

**Weird writing from the point of view of someone who can't see, but I think I did an adequate job. Stay tuned folks!**


	3. Talking Shakespeare

How is it that she spent seven years knowing Kurt without ever meeting his gorgeous, adorable step-brother? From the second he walked in the door she couldn't take her eyes off of the tall, strikingly handsome young actor. And now as it dawns on her that he will be living with them for the indefinite future her main goal is to get to know him as much as she can. She knows that he probably isn't in the best place right now, but she's determined to make him feel as comfortable and at ease as possible, in retrospect yelling at him probably wasn't the best way to go about it, but he didn't seem particularly fazed by it, in fact as hard is it is to believe, he seemed to like her a little bit. And then it hits her, he's the first person in years to approach her without that look, that look of sympathy that she hates. He can't see her face so there's nothing for him to feel sorry about. She hates to find any kind of advantage from Finn's injury, and the truth is her heart breaks for him, to lose something so valuable must be the hardest thing, still, it's a relief to have someone treat her normally for once.

He argued for what seemed like an eternity with Kurt over who would take the pull-out and who would sleep in his room. In the end Finn convinced Kurt to let him take the pull-out because he was more used to a firmer mattress, considering how early she wakes up every morning she'll probably be treated to a view of his sleeping form on a daily basis. She wonders if he sleeps shirtless, and if the fact that she hasn't had sex in over three years has anything to do with the fact that she wonders if he sleeps shirtless. It's not as if she plans on trying anything, because while Finn might not be able to see her, other people still could, how long before someone told him what she looked like and he went from nice guy who seemed to sort of like her to nice guy who still sort of liked her but would never dream of dating her? And if he got his sight back the way Kurt said he might, her hopes would be dashed even further. Add that to the fact that she's been out of the game so long the very idea of dating again gives her hives.

Her last date had been with an internet reporter a woman from her synagogue set her up with, Jacob something or other. He certainly wasn't the most attractive man on the planet, with his bad hair and bulbous nose and gapped teeth, but if having to have her face sewn back together after her accident taught her one thing, it was not to judge based on appearances. No, it was his disgusting behavior throughout that put her off dating, she was surprised that she even continued the date when he greeted her with the statement "good thing I like it with the lights off," she chalked it up to him being nervous and making a poor attempt to be funny, no it wasn't until he asked if she had ever been involved in a threesome that she bolted to the bathroom, never to be seen again.

But it isn't just her aversion to dating that will keep her from making a move on Finn, she knows that he's here to recover, nothing more, and if she can help him do that in any way she will consider it time well spent. Right now as she cooks dinner she watches with a warm smile as Kurt leads Finn through the small apartment, helping him to memorize the layout and the furniture placement, they've been at it awhile and she likes watching them navigate the apartment, even if it does make her flinch a little whenever he knocks into something, but she has a feeling this boy was rather clumsy before he lost his eyesight.

"Okay, how about we take a little break," Kurt says. "The best way to commit anything to memory is by doing things in intervals."

Finn nods once as Kurt hands him his cane.

"So, what's for dinner?" Finn says. "Smells awesome."

"Well, I was told you liked lasagna so I decided to whip up some, you know as a welcoming gesture."

"Shut up really?" he says with the excitement of a child, and it makes her smile a little.

"Don't get too excited it's probably of the veggie variety," Kurt says approaching the stove and looking into Rachel's frying pan. "Nope, real meat. Wow, you aim to please Rachel Berry."

"I can't remember the last time I've had a home cooked meal," Finn says. "Well one I didn't make myself."

"You cook?" Rachel says, impressed.

"A little," Finn says, shrugging. "I don't think I could pull off lasagna though, spaghetti is more my speed."

"Sure you can, it's easy, I could teach you if you'd like," Rachel says. "That way you can also learn your way around our kitchen."

"Um sure, okay, that sounds nice actually," Finn says with a smile. And he stands up at that point to join Rachel in the kitchen.

"Finn watch out!" Kurt says as he trips over the chair in front of him. Rachel turns, startled to see his tall, broad frame falling toward her tiny one. She drops her spoon in enough time to stop him from colliding into her, grabbing him by the waist and helping him find his footing, but she isn't fast enough to stop his hands from accidentally ending up in a very private place.

"Oh god Rachel, I'm so sorry," he says. And with him this close to her she can see all of the tiny interesting details in his face, the peppering of freckles over the bridge of his nose and his cheeks, the rich amber color of his unfocused eyes, his layer of stubble, his nervous smile… the fact that his hands are still firmly planted on her breasts.

"Um Finn," Kurt says. "If you're done rounding second base with my roommate here's your cane."

At Kurt's words he snatches his hands away like they've been burned, and Rachel can't help but blush a little, he has strong hands this one.

"Again, really sorry," he says frantically.

"It's alright Finn," she says, straightening her blouse. "Now if you'll grab me three tomatoes out of the bowl on the counter we can get started."

"Okay," he says, exhaling sharply and grabbing his cane from Kurt.. "Tomatoes." She watches intently as he goes for the counter, luckily the space is small so he reaches it without trouble, she remains silent and continues to watch as he feels for the tomatoes, his strong, fine hands navigating their way over the fruit basket, the cookie jar, the spice rack, and finally the bowl of tomatoes and avocados. She smiles brightly once he finds them and lets out a little squeal when he picks them up.

"Yay," She beams. "Great job Finn."

"Yeah buddy you did it," Kurt says.

"Well I had to redeem myself after tripping on the chair," Finn says sheepishly.

"Okay, I'm going to take the tomatoes from you now," Rachel says, taking them, her hands tingling a bit at the touch of his.

"You know you don't have to warn Finn every time you touch him," Kurt says.

"No actually I appreciate it," Finn says, giving her a sweet half smile and, she blushes again as she notices the dimples in his cheeks, and she doesn't know why because it's not like he can see her or anything but she fluffs her hair a little and combs her bangs down over her partially closed eye. It really wasn't fair for him to be this attractive.

* * *

As they eat their first meal together that night, Rachel tries hard not to stare, she knows he can't see her doing it, but Kurt can, and he was bound to comment on it. Especially the way she can't keep her eyes off his mouth, it's such a nice mouth, very kissable looking, and she looks down then because she's been staring at it for at least five seconds.

"So, Finn," she says, clearing her throat. "What spawned your interest in Shakespeare? I don't know a lot of American men who have even heard of anything beyond _Romeo and Juliet_."

"You know, I guess I've just always thought he was really great you know, his writing it's always something I've been really inspired by."

Rachel can't help but notice the way Kurt chuckles at Finn's comment, and she can tell that Finn would be shooting him a look right now if he could.

"Something on your mind Kurt?" Finn says hostilely.

"Listen we're all friends here, you can tell her the truth," Kurt says.

Finn deflates a little in defeat. "Fine, I was going to fail English unless I passed the final on _Twelfth Night _so I got a tutor, who just happened to be…"

"Aesthetically pleasing?" Rachel asks amusedly.

"I was going to say hot but I like your wording better," Finn says. "But it was more than that, I mean. she was cool and smart and funny."

"And way too old for you," Kurt says. "What was she like forty?"

"Ms. Holliday looked great for her age thank you very much," Finn argues. "Anyway, I wanted to impress her so I kind of went out for a role in the Allen County community theatre production of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_."

"And he surprised the hell out of everyone by getting cast as Lysander," Kurt adds.

"Oh my god, you got the lead?" Rachel says, surprised.

"Which he was brilliant in," Kurt interjects

"I wouldn't say brilliant," Finn says modestly.

"Oh please you were brilliant and you know it," Kurt says.

"Anyway I didn't get the girl but I did kind of accidentally find my calling," Finn says, shrugging.

"Nice trade," Rachel says.

"So what about you? What made you want to become a voice actor?" Finn asks. "Besides your awesome voice that is."

"I actually didn't," Rachel admits, blushing at his compliment. "I wanted to act on Broadway, it's why I came here."

"What happened with that?" Finn asks. "If you don't mind my asking."

She looks at Kurt then, with a look that says _should I tell him the truth? _He gives her a nod and an encouraging smile and she looks at Finn again, ready to tell him about the car wreck that ripped half of her face away and required two surgeries to leave her looking even as good as she did. But somehow she can't bring herself to tell him the truth, she likes this guy, he's the first guy she's liked in a really long time, and the last thing she wants is her face standing in the way of their refreshingly normal dynamic, not when it doesn't have to."

"Well, you know, breaking into Broadway just isn't as easy as it used to be, not that it was ever easy in the first place. It was either do the show or live on the streets." It was so far from the truth that she felt genuinely horrible even saying it. The truth was her prospects on the Broadway stage were promising before the accident, she'd never had a lead role, but she'd gotten praise for her supporting turns in a few plays, in fact she was offered the _Imaginationville_ job from a producer who sat in the audience of one of her last shows. She's happy that Kurt doesn't say anything, he may not have been able to keep his mouth shut half the time but at least he knew to hold his tongue when it counted.

"That's kind of strange," Finn says.

"What's strange?" Rachel asks.

"It's just whenever I hear you on that show you just sound like you're in love with what you're doing. Especially when you sing," Finn explains.

"I do love it," Rachel says truthfully. "It just isn't what I expected to be doing at this point in my life, just like you didn't expect to be performing the lead in _Midsummer Night's Dream_ back in high school."

"That's definitely true," Finn says. "Before I found out I kind of loved Shakespeare I was all about sports and my band."

"You were in a band?" Rachel says. "What did you play?"

"Drums," Finn says. "I also sing a little bit too, it's how I got the part of the singer in _Romeo and Juliet _my first year in England, I'm nowhere near as good as you though."

"Big Mistake Finn, she's totally going to make you sing _What is a Youth? _now," Kurt says.

"Kurt, you're such a pain sometimes," Rachel says. "Although he is right, I thoroughly expect you to sing _What is a Youth?_"

"Right now?" Finn says, perplexed.

"Impromptu musical performances are kind of a big thing for me," Rachel says, dead serious.

"Um, okay, Do I have to stand?"

"That would be preferable, yes" Rachel says, her voice and expression still serious, and at that he stands, and Rachel does an inward happy dance because she loves it when people sing for her, almost as much as she loves singing for other people.

_What is a youth? Impetuous fire/What is a maid? Ice and desire/The world wags on/A rose will bloom It then will fade/So does a youth/So do-o-o-oes the fairest maid. _

As he sings she notices that his voice is rougher, manlier and dare she say it, sexier than she would expect the singer from Romeo and Juliet to have, but somehow it works, in fact there's something quietly beautiful and vulnerable in it too, she can see immediately why he got the part, because the sound of his voice is so infectious it makes her want to stand up and join in, she only hopes that he doesn't think she's trying to steal his thunder, but he only smiles a little and continues to sing as she sings along, and even more so once he realizes how beautifully their voices blend together. Singing with him feels natural yet exhilarating at the same time, like she's been doing it for years but it somehow still feels new.

_Comes a time when one sweet smile Has its season for a while/Then love's in love with me/Some they think only to marry/Others will tease and tarry/Mine is the very best parry/Cupid he rules us all._

_ Caper the cape, but sing me the song/Death will come soon to hush us along/Sweeter than honey and bitter as gall/Love is a task and it never will pall/Sweeter than honey...and bitter as gall/Cupid he rules us all_

As they finish They are both startled by the sound of Kurt clapping, because to be honest, Rachel completely forgot that he was there and Finn clearly did to.

"Wow, that was amazing," Kurt says.

"I know," Rachel says quietly, wide eyed as she looks up at Finn, her heart suddenly beating harder in her chest.

"Yeah," Finn agrees with a soft smile. "Your voice is just… I mean I knew you could sing but wow."

"Yeah, yours too," Rachel agrees, reaching for her hair the way she always does when she's nervous.

"That song wasn't meant to be sung as a duet but still, well done." Kurt says, and they don't respond because Rachel is still looking at Finn, and wondering if he wants to be looking at her too.

"I'm not even here am I?" Kurt says after a lingering silence.

Rachel thinks this not trying anything with Finn thing may be more complicated than she thought.

**Stay Tuned Folks!**


	4. At First Sound

**Sorry for the short chapter, especially after such a long wait, but typing on a smartphone is a bitch. My computer should be out of the shop soon though. And I forgot to mention this last time but the book I was referring to in the first chapter is I'll Be Seeing You by Lurlene McDaniel. **

He's heard of love at first sight, hell, that's the only kind of love that really exists in Shakespeare, buy what about love at first sound? Okay, so he isn't in love with Kurt's roommate, not after one night. This is real life, not Shakespeare, still, he can't deny that he's attracted to her. After hours of completely ignoring Kurt and just talking over second and third helpings of lasagna, about music, and acting and England and New York and their childhoods, he still wants to know more, and for her to know more about him, and to sing with her again, and he has to admit it, he desperately wants to know what the girl with the beautiful voice looks like.

He's never been a shallow guy, at least not any more so than any other guy his age, granted the first thing he noticed about Santana was how exotically gorgeous she was, but he doubts she would have kept his attention for very long if she weren't also whip smart and funny, and some would say bitchy, but he supposes being in the closet for so long would have had that affect on her. Still, he never expected to be so immediately drawn to a girl he couldn't see, and the thought still mystifies him as he lays awake thinking about her and imagining her face. He thinks she must have big eyes, like a baby deer or a Disney princess, and a smile that lights up a room, and she's probably a tiny little thing too. As strong and commanding and clear as that voice of hers is, he can't help but think it sounds like it's coming from a smaller body. He just hopes she's not too tiny, he's a big guy, he wouldn't want to hurt her or anything... wait, hurt her doing what exactly? He thinks to himself.

He shakes off the thought, he's here to get better, that's it. His doctor said that there's a good chance he'll get his sight back at least partially, and there's really nothing he wants more than to be able to see again. He hasn't been blind for very long, but he can admit that it's frustrating, knocking into things, needing help with the simplest tasks, not being able to see all the beauty of New York, including Kurt's roommate, who sings like an angel and makes a mean lasagna and is so unbelievably sweet, but possessing an odd sort of forcefulness that wasn't unsexy. And as he finds himself thinking of her again he realizes that it must be at least two in the morning and he really needs to try to get some sleep. He closes his eyes then, noticing no difference from having them open, and finally lets sleep overtake him.

* * *

"Okay Finn, hold very still," Kurt says as he carefully drags the razor over his stepbrother's shaving gel covered face.

"Isn't this a little weird?" Finn says uneasily as Kurt rinses the razor in the sink.

"What's weird about it?" Kurt says nonchalantly. "Chin up please."

Finn obliges, allowing Kurt to tackle the stubble on the underside of his chin.

"I'm just saying, isn't this one of those things I should be learning to do for myself?" Finn persists.

"Finn, you couldn't even shave properly when you could see," Kurt replies.

"Well, at least you let me brush my own teeth," Finn jokes.

"Trust me, you're going to look great," Kurt says. "Besides, I'm sure Rachel would appreciate a nice clean shaven face." He continues slyly.

"Here we go," Finn sighs.

"Don't try to deny it, you're not that good of an actor," Kurt teases. "I saw you two together, I felt like the third wheel all night."

"I'm new, she was just being nice," Finn protests.

"Yeah, and you were just being nice right back, with the singing and the flirting and the 'oh my god I love Rock of Ages'" Kurt mocks. "And that's not even mentioning the feeling her up in the kitchen."

"That was an accident," Finn says sheepishly. A wonderful wonderful accident, he thinks silently.

"I'm just saying if you like her you should ask her out," Kurt says, finishing his task. "Just a head's up this is going to be warm." Kurt continues, pressing a towel to Finn's face

"I do like Rachel," Finn admits, his voice muffled by the towel. "I like her a lot, I mean, she's great but..."

"But what?" Kurt says coolly.

"I just had this accident and I'm in a whole new city and my whole life has basically been turned upside down, so excuse me if my number one priority isn't getting laid."

"First of all what kind of 26 year old man are you? Secondly, when did I say anything about getting laid?" Kurt says. "I'm talking about connecting with someone, making a friend, and who knows what will come later but just because you've been through some trauma doesn't mean you have to put your life on hold."

Finn places the towel down, hoping to place it on the counter but dropping it on the floor instead, and he can hear Kurt reach down to grab it.

"Just think about it okay," Kurt says, patting him on the shoulder and starting for the bathroom door.

"Hey Kurt," Finn calls after him.

"Yeah?"

"What does she look like?" Finn asks tentatively.

"And by that you mean 'is she hot' right?"

"Well, is she?" Finn asks a bit nervously, as if he's embarrassed to admit that it matters. "I mean I know you're gay but still..."

"Well her body is to die for," Kurt says after a bit of contemplation. "And she has amazing hair, I should know I cut and styled it myself, and her smile..."

"It lights up a room doesn't it?" Finn says dreamily.

"How did you know?" Kurt replies.

"I can hear it," Finn says sheepishly.

"You can hear her smile?" Kurt says skeptically.

"Yeah," Finn says warmly. "Is that weird?"

"No, it's actually kind of sweet," Kurt admits. "Anyway, Rachel is a beautiful girl, she just doesn't see herself that way."

"Why not?" Finn asks, knitting his brow.

"Maybe she just needs the right person to show her."

At that Kurt leaves, and Finn wonders what Kurt really means when he says she needs someone to show her, and for the tiniest of split seconds he wonders if that person could be him.

She's on the couch, he knows immediately when he sits down because he can smell her shampoo, it smells like apples and it makes him sigh a little. He also smells coffee and something involving cinnamon.

"Good morning Finn" She says sweetly. "I'm sitting next to you on the couch."

"Yeah," he says, chuckling a little, because she really is unbelievably cute. "I know."

"That's great, that's your heightened senses compensating for your vision loss," she says. "So, how did you sleep?"

"Really good actually," Finn says. "Did you cook breakfast?"

"Yes I did in fact, pumpkin french toast and fresh fruit."

"And the vegan nazi returns," Kurt quips, Fin doesn't know where the voice is coming from but it sounds like he's in the kitchen.

"For your information I also prepared chicken sausage, I don't expect everyone to conform to my lifestyle Kurt."

"Sure, you'll buy sausage for Finn but if I want a nice prosciutto and melon for breakfast I'm Satan.

"He's exaggerating," Rachel says over to Kurt.

"I actually am exaggerating, but what can I say, she's fun to screw with," Kurt admits. "Anyway, I'm off to work, are you two going to be okay here by yourselves?"

"We're not golden retrievers Kurt," Finn says, making Rachel giggle.

"Alright mr. Smart guy, see you when I get home," Kurt says before heading out the door.

He smiles over to her in silence, or at least he thinks he's smiling at her, and he hopes she's smiling back,

"So," she starts after a few moments. "Finn I know it's only your second day here and you're probably still hesitant about leaving the house, but I wanted to know if you would like to accompany me to the studio this afternoon."

"You mean where you record the show?" Finn says.

"Of course I could always reschedule-"

"No, I'd love to go with you," He says, maybe a bit too excitedly. "You know, if I won't be in he way."

"Don't be silly, we'd be happy to have you, and perhaps before we can have lunch, there's this great little pizzeria near central park, they're the only place in New York that uses quality vegan cheese, but I hear their animal byproduct based cuisine is quite excellent as well."

"Okay, sure that sounds great," Finn says, and he silently wonders if she just asked him out.

**STAY TUNED FOLKS!**


	5. Romeo In Black Jeans

** since the actor thing has been shot to hell on the show this may or may not be the last actor Finn fic I do, because as much as I enjoy the idea of him being an actor, to be honest I kind of prefer Soldier Finn, Firefighter Finn, and sensitive tough guy in general Finn fics anyway, but this should still be a lot of fun. A lot of readers have been asking what Rachel looks like, whether she's truly disfigured or just insecure, to answer your question, it's both, but moreso the latter. If you've seen the Twilight movies (and I'm pretty ashamed to admit that I have and didn't hate them as much as I wanted to) picture Sam's girlfriend Emily and you can gauge the level of damage to Rachel's face, except one of her eyes is a little bigger than the other. Sorry for the oppressively long wait on this guys, this should be the last long delay in updates.**

The morning couldn't have gone better, being alone with Finn, eating breakfast, watching the news, being alone with Finn, taking a nice hot shower, being alone with Finn, the more time she spends with him the more time she wants to spend with him, and she hopes that he feels the same. The way they talked and laughed all morning reminded her of being with an old friend, an old friend who's clothes she desperately wanted to rip off, but she wouldn't think too much about that. Now as they walk to the pizzeria for lunch all she can think about is whether this counts as a date or not, no, it's not a date, surely the furthest thing from Finn's mind is dating after the trauma he went through, still, she tries not to blush as she leads him down the busy city sidewalk, her arm linked with his as they stroll. She knows he can't see her blushing, but he can probably picture it in his mind based on the rhythm of her voice as she describes the sights to him. The obvious answer would of course be to stop talking all together, but that's never been easy for her, especially when nervous, and she promised herself that she would help Finn in any way she could, so she continues narrating their walk as Finn listens intently.

"This is on of my favorite buildings, she says as they pass an old church on fifth street. "I especially love the gargoyles in front, the smallest one is a dead ringer for Bob Hoskins."

"The guy from _ Who framed Roger Rabbit?_ Finn asks amusedly.

"That's the one," she replies. "You know, I've never actually seen that movie'" she admits.

"Shut up," Finn says. "Did you like not have a childhood?"

"Not much of one, most of my childhood years were spent perfecting my pitch and mastering complicated dance routines."

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Finn continues. "If you don't mind."

"Okay, sure," she says, a little worried about what that entails.

"Why did you really give up on Broadway, I mean I know you have your cartoon show and that's great, but the way you talk about it Broadway kind of seems like it's been your lifelong dream, and so many voice actors do movies and stuff too, it seems like someone as talented as you could do both without breaking a sweat."

She knows she should tell him the real reason, but she still can't bring herself to.

"Well maybe one day I will," she says simply.

"Something tells me maybe doesn't really apply to you."

"It didn't used to," she admits.

"What changed?"

"I just had to learn that there's more to life than getting every little thing you want all the time."

"Even if you deserve it?"

"Who says I deserve it?"

"Well," he starts. "Me, for one."

And all she can do is sigh a little on the inside, wishing things were really that simple.

"Well I know this much, me and you are going to watch _Roger Rabbit_ we have to right this wrong." He continues

"sounds like a plan," she agrees. "We owe it to young Rachel Berry as well as Bob Hoskins Gargoyle."

"I really wish I could see it," he says a bit sadly, and suddenly she can't help but feel bad about making everything sound so great.

"Well I'm confident you'll have your sight back before long Finn," she assures him. "Besides, I'm sure whatever you're picturing is much more interesting than what I'm seeing.

"Well," he starts. "Right now I'm picturing you." he says with a sly smile, and she can't help but blush even more.

"H-how do you picture me?" she stammers. And she knows she's just torturing herself because chances are he doesn't imagine a scarred freak when he thinks of her, he probably pictures someone blonde and flawless, like Quinn Fabray, it's just the way guys were, caught up in the fantasy of the perfect woman.

"Well according to Kurt you have a beautiful smile," he says, making her breath catch a little in her throat. "I have to admit that's what I thought when I first heard your voice." _ this man is going to be the death of me_ she thinks silently to herself.

"What else did Kurt tell you?" she says a bit nervously, surely Kurt knew that she wasn't ready to talk about her accident with Finn yet, he was the first person to meet her in years that treated her like a normal person, and she didn't want to lose that just yet.

"He told me you have great hair but he didn't say what color," Finn continues.

"Do I sound like a blonde or a brunette?" she says playfully, enjoying the game in spite of herself.

"Hmm..." he says, clearly deep in thought. "I'm thinking brunette, is that right?"

It shouldn't make her as happy as it does that he correctly guessed her hair color, still she can't help but shoot him a beaming smile.

"It's wrong isn't it?" he continues, clearly thrown off by her silence.

"No, you're right actually, I am a brunette," she continues. "Keep going, this is fun," and she regrets the words instantly, he's blind, there's nothing fun about it for him, but he doesn't seem offended, if anything he seems to agree with her.

"Okay, you're on the small side, I'm guessing 5'4""

"5'2"" actually," she says sheepishly.

"Wow, that is small," he blurts. "You know, not that I'm complaining."

"Well I have to admit there is a bit of a size difference," she says.

"Yeah if we wen't out you'd..." and she can't help but notice that he's blushing now too, and she so wishes he would finish that sentence, what would happen if they went out? And how bizarre is it that he's thought about them going out already too, bizarre yet exciting in a way she doesn't quite want to admit.

"You know just hypothetically if we went out I'd probably have to bend down pretty far, you know... To kiss you... not that I would try to kiss you or anything, although I'm sure at would be really nice... To kiss you." Finn rambles nervously, and she's pretty sure that they're matching shades of beet red at this point, If his handsome face and sexy voice and effortless kindness didn't turn her into goo by the end of the day his bumbling charm would do the trick.

"I'm sorry that came out wrong," he continues.

"Finn, it's okay," she says, giggling a bit. And at that they continue their trek through the city.

As they arrive at the pizzeria Finn's eyes flutter closed and a smile graces his features at the intoxicating smell, and she knew it would be a treat for him, Eddie's Pizzeria was pleasing to all of the senses, even the ears, she loved the old timey Italian tunes they played over the stereo here. She describes the charming hole in the wall place to him in detail as they wait in line and he nods along, picturing the black and white checkered floors and colorful murals and open kitchen, with the pizza cooks entertaining the patrons in back with their acrobatic dough tossing.

"So Finn, what would you like?" she says as they reach the front of the line.

"Well my favorite pizza is Hawaiian," he says as if it's a question.

"Eddie, two slices of Hawaiian pizza for my friend here, and the usual for me," Rachel says.

"You come to an authentic Italian Pizzeria and you order the Hawaiian?" Eddie says, shaking his head. "It's bad enough that I have to make a vegan slice for this one, the vegan pizza was my daughter's doing by the way."

"Don't be such a pain Eddie, I have it on good authority that both the Bacon lovers pizza and the Southwestern chicken pizza were your brilliant innovations, and the less said about the Tennessee barbecue pizza the better," Rachel protests.

"Hey that happens to be Guiliani's favorite," Eddie says defensively. "and novelties aside you can't argue that I make the best damn pizza in seven continents."

"Well, I've had Pizza in Italy," Finn says, "Do you really think you can do any better?" he continues teasingly, Making Rachel chuckle a bit into her hand,

"If I can't it's on the house," Eddie says confidently.

"I'll take that bet," Finn says, extending his hand for Eddie to shake and accidentally knocking over the tip jar.

"Oh man, I'm so sorry," Finn says frantically.

"Don't worry about it, for a second there I thought you just had a thing about looking people in the eye," Eddie says genially.

"I have to admit I feel a bit less smooth now, but bet's still on." Finn says. "I'm looking forward to my free pizza.

"You're alright Kid," Eddie laughs, jotting down their pizza order. "You hold onto this one Berry."

"Oh, he's not my boyfriend," she says, and she hopes Finn doesn't notice the disappointment in her voice at the statement.

* * *

"Well I have to admit that was the best seven dollars I've ever lost," Finn says as they exit Eddie's, arms still linked.

"Good right?" Rachel beams.

"But I bet you know all the best places."

"Well not to brag, but yes, even if it is mostly thanks to Kurt. But I'd love to take you around sometime when I don't have work."

"Well I'd love to be taken around," he says with a warm smile. And she smiles back, she bets that he has the best smile in the whole world when he can use his eyes, even now it's pretty close to perfect. They continue to walk together and she continues to describe things, and he listens and asks questions and sometimes the questions lead to conversations which cause her to get off track in describing New York, but she doesn't beat herself up about it too much who wouldn't lose track with him in their presence?

As they approach the studio she takes notice of a particular street vendor nearby, she usually doesn't pay much mind to the sunglasses guy since he looks unfriendly and so often making the glaring mistake of hawking his wares on overcast days, but this time she stops.

"Are we here?" Finn asks.

"Just about, I'm just making a little stop," she explains as she scans the inventory of shades, finally settling on the perfect pair for Finn, a sleek pair of black aviators.

"I'll take these," she says, getting out her money and handing them to the surly vendor, who wordlessly takes the money and hands her the change.

"You'll take what?" Finn says, confused.

"Just a gift, " Rachel says. "I'm about to put a pair of sunglasses on you." she says putting them on Finn, who doesn't protest.

"They aren't those weird boxy kind you see on a lot of blind guys are they?" Finn asks.

"No these happen to be extremely cool and sexy," she says, hoping he doesn't think it's weird that she used the word sexy, in her defense she used it describe the glasses, not him, nothing forward about at at all.

"How do I look?" he says with a smile.

"Very handsome," she says truthfully, okay, now that was a little forward, but he doesn't seem to mind.

"Thanks Finn says, "But you know, you didn't have to buy me a gift," he says as they continue toward the studio. "You've already been like super sweet to me."

"I really don't see how I could not be," she says. "You've been sweet right back," she says, unconsciously leaning into him a little as they enter the studio arm in arm, and she's not sure if she's imagining this but she thinks he holds her arm a bit tighter in response. She likes being this close to him, it makes her feel nervous in a good way, and she enoys the way he smells and how strong his body feels, it doesn't feel like she's doing a blind guy a favor by leading him around, she feels like a girl walking entwined with the guy she likes, and she imagines that's what people see when they look at them together.

As they enter the recording studio, she has to admit she's a little shocked by Noah's presence there, he's never once been there before her, the fact that he came early would delight her if it weren't so foreign, but once she looks past him and sees the likely cause of his promptness, she can't help but deflate a little, maybe Quinn decided to take Puck up on his offer of studio time after all.

"Quinn, what are you doing here?" Rachel says, wishing she could make herself feel more happy to see her, the truth is, she liked Quinn, she liked her confidence and her no nonsense attitude, but the last person she wanted imposing on her and Finn's perfect day together was the love child of Grace Kelly and Cinderella.

"Actually a little birdie name Puck told me that you were bringing an honest to god Elizabethan actor along with you." Quinn says, looking past Rachel to Finn and making the irrational jealousy start to rear it's ugly head already, why should she be jealous of Quinn in this situation, Finn couldn't even see her, yet there it was, unmistakable jealousy.

"Yeah, she came to meet Finn, I've invited her to the studio a dozen times and she finally comes to meet the Shakespeare expert," Puck says, and there it is again, jealousy, this time in Puck's voice.

"I'm not really an expert," Finn says modestly. "I pretty much just say the lines in an English accent."

"an incredibly convincing one," Rachel says truthfully "I had him do his Romeo for me earlier today."

"But Romeo was Italian," Quinn corrects.

"British, the catch-all accent of Shakespearean performers," Rachel says nervously.

"They've been doing it that way for years, I guess they figure why stop now?" Finn adds.

"That must be really interesting," Quinn says and Rachel isn't quite comfortable with jus t how interested she seems. "Acting on a real live London stage. I'd love it if you could come talk to my class about it, I teach middle school drama."

"Wow, that's really cool," Finn says. "It must be really rewarding to work with kids."

"Well why don't you see for yourself," Quinn says. "I mean I know it's a lot to ask with everything you've been through, I heard about your accident and I'm very sor-"

"I'd love to," Finn says, cutting her off, and that pang of jealousy strikes again with how excited he seems, Rachel wonders if he can tell somehow how ridiculously beautiful the girl he's talking to is, even if he can't he'll be able to see again someday, and as that realization surfaces again she realizes just how unrealistic it would be to pursue anything with Finn, the second he gets his sight back it's over, so why should she bother?

"Great," Quinn says, as Rachel begins to feel herself fading from the room. "Maybe we can discuss the lesson plan over dinner tomorrow night."

"Okay, Finn says, without the slightest bit of hesitation, and with that response the fantasy of Rachel and Finn once again becomes just that, a fantasy. "Can Rachel come too?"

She perks up a bit at his words but tries not to get her hopes up too high. "Finn if you need someone to help you around I'm sure Kurt would be happy to," Rachel says dejectedly.

"Yeah, that's true," Finn says, making Rachel deflate again. "If that were the reason I was asking."

Rachel perks back up again and smiles. "Um, I guess that would be alright," Quinn says, clearly a bit miffed.

Maybe if just for while, it didn't have to be just a fantasy after all.

**Stay tuned folks!**


	6. Blind Dating

**Before you say anything I'm already thoroughly aware of how badly I suck. Let me explain, I neglected to tell you all that I was moving because I did not think that it was relevant to my fanfiction writing pursuits, little did I know I would not have wifi for nearly the first two weeks of living in my new apartment, coupled with the fact that my work schedule has been pretty merciless lately, I hope you can understand why I haven't updated, I know it's not like me to leave you guys hanging, and hopefully this will truly be the last time I take this long to write a new chapter because not updating has been hell for me too.**

He wonders to himself why she's so quiet now, it isn't like her to be this quiet, he may not know her well but he knows that being quiet is definitely not like her. He doesn't understand it, it was quite possibly the best date ever, around the time she began to sing _ Welcome To The Periodic Table_ in that adorable cartoon voice of hers and he found himself grinning uncontrollably that he decided it was definitely a date, because he just couldn't spend a day frolicking around New York city with a girl that amazing and not consider it a date. He wonders if she thinks it was a date too, he hopes she does, the way they walked arm in arm like a couple while she described the city to him in detail just felt a little too right, a little too easy, but maybe it was just him, maybe she got the wrong idea when he invited her along to dinner with Quinn as if he expected her to be joined to his hip from now on, no questions asked.

To tell the truth he wasn't sure what came over him, but less than 48 hours in the city and the thought of being apart from her seemed wrong somehow, maybe she was partially right about him wanting her there because she was simply a great pair of surrogate eyes, but thinking it over he knows there's more to it than that, he can't help but think he'd want her there blind or not, the fact is he just enjoys her company, and if she hadn't spent the last five minutes in total silence he would have thought she enjoyed his too, maybe he misconstrued the way she saw him, maybe she thought of him as just a charity case she could dote on, maybe that's why she ended up casually inviting the sound guy along for the dinner. She didn't have a thing for that guy, Puck he thinks he's called, did she? Just another thing to add to the long list of things that sucked about being blind, he had no way of knowing whether Puck was better looking than he was, although he definitely had the being able to see thing going for him, not that he's lost hope of getting his sight back, but at least for now he has to deal with with the fact that girls didn't exactly go crazy over the handicapped.

He knows that he's putting way too much thought into this, he can't help it, when she's not talking his mind can't help but go into hyperdrive, and he knows if he doesn't break the silence soon he'll over think things until there's no room left for thought, so he thinks of the most casual, neutral, non-threatening thing to say in this situation.

"So, that was fun," he finally offers, and he wishes he had some sort of visual cue to go by, but mercifully she speaks.

"It _was_ fun," she agrees, a smile in her voice that he can tell isn't 100 percent genuine, he so wishes he knew what was on her mind, should he just ask? He wonders to himself, and he thinks it couldn't hurt.

"Penny for your thoughts," he says after a few silent moments. He can tell she's hesitating to speak and he wishes he knew why.

"This may sound like an odd question, but I'm curious," she starts tentatively. "What did you think of Quinn?" The truth is he hadn't thought about Quinn much beyond thinking she seemed nice, and that her vanilla perfume paled in comparison to Rachel's apple-scented shampoo.

"She seems okay, why do you ask?"

"Well, I don't know if you caught it but she seemed pretty into you."

He considers Rachel's words and wonders to himself whether it should matter if Quinn was into him or not, he doesn't know Quinn, she could be awesome for all he knows, but somehow it was hard to get his mind off of Rachel for long enough to even consider Quinn's possible awesomeness. Still, why would Rachel even bring up the possibility of another girl being into him unless Rachel herself absolutely wasn't into him. The thought makes his heart sink a little.

"Really?" he says faux nonchalantly. "That's kind of strange, I mean she just met me."

"It's not that strange," she replies. "I mean you clearly have some common interests, and you've had an interesting life and you know you... well you look the way that you look."

He thinks she means to say that he's handsome, and a smile reaches his lips at the comment, it was the second time she's complimented his looks and he has to admit it makes him feel good.

"Well, it's always nice to know that someone's into you, but I have to say she doesn't really seem like my type."

"Quinn Fabray is kind of everyone's type," she says with a bit of a dejected tone. "I mean I know it doesn't mean much to you now but..."

"But..." he says, urging her on if only to figure out if this conversation is going in a favorable direction.

"Quinn is a very beautiful woman Finn, probably the most beautiful woman I've ever seen up close, I don't know a single guy that doesn't fall completely in love with her at first sight."

And suddenly he gets it, she's not trying to see how he feels about Quinn because he wants to set them up. She's jealous, she's jealous of Quinn, he can hear it in her voice, and at the realization only one thought comes to mind.

_This is fantastic._

* * *

He has to trust in Kurt's fashion sense, if he tried dressing himself for the night he'd probably end up going to dinner in mismatched shoes and his old Hall and Oates T-shirt with the hole in the armpit. Kurt keeps claiming to be too busy to tag all of his clothes for him, but Finn thinks that's just an excuse to be able to dress him whenever and however he wants. Giving Finn a makeover was always a dream of Kurt's, he just never thought that it would take him going blind to finally realize it.

"Don't stay out too late, you have an appointment with Dr. Sylvester in the morning," Kurt says as he adjusts the collar on the shirt he bought for him as a welcome to the city gift, charcoal grey button-down according to Kurt's description, and he has to admit that that didn't sound bad at all, and the material feels nice against his skin.

"Whatever you say mom," Finn scoffs as Kurt hands him his blazer.

"Har dee har har," Kurt replies drily.

"Everything's going to be fine Kurt, Rachel is coming with me remember?" Finn says reassuringly.

"I'm aware," Kurt says with a sly tone. "You two really seem to be getting along well."

"Well, you were right about me not putting my life on hold until I can see again, and Rachel's really nice, why shouldn't I hang out with her?"

"Exactly," Kurt agrees. "But be careful Finn, you're not the only one that's been hurt, she could use a friend but if you can't help going for more just know that she's more fragile than she seems."

"Wait a minute, is she getting over a bad breakup too?" he says, a bit more anxiously than intended.

"She doesn't like to talk about it but her heart's been a little bit broken in the past, and she may seem like a pistol but I know deep down she's still not completely over it, I think it has a lot to do with why she can be so insecure.

"I don't get it," Finn says, shaking his head in disbelief. "What kind of soulless bastard would break Rachel's heart? Would be like tearing the stuffing out of a Care Bear."

"Aww that's so sweet, you really do like her," Kurt says a bit teasingly. "Be careful with her feelings Finn, she has a lot of them."

"I'm just taking things slow right now," he says honestly. "To tell the truth I'm not even 100 percent sure how she feels about me, although..."

"Although what?"

"Well I can't be sure but she did seem a little jealous that another girl invited me out."

"Jealousy toward other girls is always a good sign, and if she were anyone else I'd say milk the hell out if it, but this is my best friend so please don't dick with her emotions and give her a reason to keep being jealous."

"Trust me Kurt," Finn replies with a soft smile. "Rachel has absolutely nothing to be jealous about."

* * *

According to Kurt's description Rachel is wearing blue tonight, a short, swishy dress that shows off her reportedly amazing legs, and he can tell that her hair is down when he uncertainly places a hand on her back, feeling her soft hair beneath his fingers, and she smells so good he can't stand it, and when they arrive at the restaurant together after walking and talking together in that easy way that made Finn want to never stop, he's almost disappointed when he's greeted by Quinn at the door, he had somehow managed to forget that it wouldn't be just him and Rachel tonight.

"Rachel, Finn, you guys look amazing," Quinn says, a weird sort of dejection in her voice. "let's sit."

"Is Noah here yet?" Rachel says a bit anxiously as she helps Finn into the booth, and with just that innocent question he's launched back into self doubt, maybe she really did have a thing for Puck after all, maybe she was jealous of Quinn, but not for the reason he thought, she did say that men tended to fall in love with Quinn at first sight, maybe Puck was no exception, he shakes the thought off, just because she was curious about where her coworker was didn't mean she liked him that way.

"Restroom," Quinn replies a bit icily "I'm personally surprised he showed up, I think I made it pretty clear that this wasn't initially meant to be a group thing."

"By the way, I'm sorry for inviting him without asking you first, it just sort of slipped out," Rachel says.

"No worries, I wouldn't want you to feel like a third wheel." Rachel is simply silent at the comment. Finn wishes he knew what to say as well, if anything Quinn was a third wheel, but he didn't feel right saying that, he clearly didn't share Quinn's deliberate bluntness.

"Hey guys, you made it," the low voice of Puck proclaims as he takes a seat in the booth. "Finn, nice to see you again." He can't help but notice a bit of hostility in Puck's voice as he addresses him, and he thinks he may be onto something in thinking Puck has his eyes on Quinn.

"Nice to see you too," Finn replies.

"So, Finn," Quinn says, a bit of flirtatiousness in her tone as she thoroughly ignores Puck's return to the booth. "Tell me more about England."

"Well, I went when I was nineteen, it was this study abroad program at Pace."

"Pace university, that's impressive, when did you graduate?"

"I didn't actually," Finn says sheepishly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she replies.

"It's okay, I barely got in, my grades in high school weren't exactly the best, the only reason they let me go was because of my essay and a killer audition tape from Midsummer."

"Why didn't you finish? if you don't mind my asking," Quinn responds, with more of an accusatory tone than Rachel had upon asking the same question.

"Well, that would have required me coming back to America," Finn said. "But by the time the study abroad program was over I just couldn't leave."

"Why not?"

"It's actually a really sweet story," Rachel chimes in. "Except of course for how it ended."

"It's true," Finn continues. "I fell in love, she was this beautiful dancer from Spain, and she was so confident and smart and funny, and by our third date I knew that I had to stay. And I told her, "Santana, if I go back to America that means never seeing you again, and I'm just not okay with that' and she kissed me, and told me that she loved me, and I moved in with her the next day and transferred to Old Vic the next semester."

"You're a true romantic," Rachel says sweetly. "I'm just sorry that she broke your heart Finn."

"Well I 'd be lying if I said I shouldn't have seen it coming," Finn admits. "After awhile it felt like Santana was more like a really awesome guy friend, she always had my back when she wasn't busting my balls, we liked the same movies, and unfortunately for me we had the same taste in women."

"Dude, not to cheapen your pain or anything, but that is pretty freaking hot," Puck says, thawing a bit.

"Must you be such a pig?" Quinn scoffs.

"Well, he's sort of right," Finn says, shrugging. "I mean it was devastating and everything but I'm still a guy."

"Finn you are far from just a guy," Rachel says.

"Thanks Rach," Finn says warmly. "I'm sure the same can't be said for whoever you..." and he trails off, he wasn't supposed to know about Rachel's past heartbreak, and he certainly wasn't supposed to bring it up in front of her friends. He can feel his face growing red and he hopes someone changes the subject.

"Whoever what Finn?" Rachel says, not angrily.

"Nothing, I didn't mean anything," Finn says as convincingly as he can manage, and he can't see her face but he can imagine there's a look of embarrassment on it."

"Did Kurt tell you about Jesse?" she continues, defeatedly.

"I didn't, I mean..."Finn tries to think of something to say to get off the subject, because the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass her.

"It's okay Finn, we already know," Quinn says.

"Could we maybe not talk about it?" Rachel says and there's something a bit frantic in her voice. "I'm sorry it's just, it was a long time ago and I like to keep it in the past. "

"I'm sorry Rachel I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay Finn," Rachel says, and the warmth in her voice relaxes him, she's not angry.

The rest of the evening went by nicely, at least for Finn and Rachel, who spent most of the night chatting away like they we're the only two people in the room while Puck and Quinn quietly tolerated each other, they didn't mean for the double date to end up being so one sided, he really did plan on discussing Quinn's class, but somehow him talking about starting and ending with a Q and A session turned into a very long conversation with Rachel about how much the world needs a musical based on _Braveheart_ and how she could write the lyrics and he could handle the music and they could play the male and female leads and _ you think I could pull off a kilt?" _ and _ your Scottish accent is very convincing."_and now as they walked hand in hand back to Kurt's because their hands just happened to brush on the way out of the building and Finn knew an opportunity when he saw one, he's a bit surprised by what she has to say next.

"I'm over him you know," she says out of nowhere, making him pause a bit as they walk. " Jesse, I didn't want you to think that the reason I didn't want to talk about it is because I'm not over him"

"That's not what I was thinking."

"What were you thinking?"

"That you are over _him_ but you may not be entirely over what he did to you."

"How much did Kurt tell you?" she responds after a bit of a pause, not denying Finn's words.

"That he broke your heart," Finn says carefully. "Is that true?"

"I really loved him," she admits. " He just didn't love me back, not enough anyway, not enough to get over the fact that I couldn't be what he wanted."

"And what's that?"

"What all guys can't admit that they want, someone perfect," she says simply. "Someone like Quinn."

"Rach, I'm sure Quinn is everything you say she is, but you're totally right..." he starts, and as he speaks he stops walking, getting her to face him even as he can't look her right in the eye. "it doesn't mean anything to me."

"Because you can't see her?" She deduces.

"No," he replies, and he wonders if too soon to confess how deeply in like with her he's fallen in such a short time, especially considering the circumstances, but he hears the sadness in her voice and he has to take a chance. "It doesn't mean anything to me because I think I sort of have a thing for someone else."

He waits anxiously for her response, she knows what he means by that right?

"Finn can I ask you something?" she says after a few silent, torturous moments. "What if I wasn't what you pictured? What if I wasn't beautiful? Hypothetically I mean."

"Kurt told me," he starts.

"What did he tell you?" she says, and he can't be completely sure but he thinks her voice has risen in panic a bit, and he silently wonders why.

"He told me that the only person who doesn't see how beautiful you are is you," he continues. "And I may not be able to see your face just yet, but somehow I know, he's right Rachel."

He wonders what she's thinking, once again lamenting the fact that he can't read her face, hoping that he brought her some comfort with his words.

"Finn," she finally says. "I'm going to kiss you now."

"Okay," he chokes out nervously, he told Kurt he would take things slow, but if the lady wanted a kiss who was he to protest? And as she places her small hands on his shoulders and presses her criminally soft lips against his, he's seriously happy that he didn't protest, and he wraps his arms around her waist, clutching his cane with one hand and grabbing ahold of her jacket with the other, pulling her closer as they kiss on the busy sidewalk, and he doesn't think any girl has ever kissed him like this before, so gently and sweetly yet with an underlying passion he can feel throughout his entire body, and he thinks he can safely deduce that she's not interested in Puck. Nobody who kisses like this could possibly have her mind on someone else. He may not have been able to see, but feeling her kiss him like that almost made all of his other senses seem unnecessary, maybe being blind didn't have to totally suck after all.

** And here I go again making Jesse the bad guy, I hate to do it especially after his last appearance, but it's AU so I don't feel too badly about it. There's a reason Quinn was so drawn to Finn so quickly, and I'm not sure whether that reason will make her more or less likable, but I'm aiming for more, also So We meet Again should be updated no later than Thursday. anywhoo, as always, stay tuned folks!**


	7. The Ugly Truth

She couldn't keep the smile off of her face that morning, because she hadn't been kissed like that since, well, ever, even before the accident. She kept going over it her mind, reminding herself that it actually happened, and it was all it took to put that goofy grin back on her face, luckily Kurt and Finn had left early that morning for a doctor's appointment, so nobody was there to witness her giggling school girl routine, Kurt wouldn't let her hear the end of it if he knew. They left it at a kiss, it was much too soon to take it any further, but knowing that it could possibly head that way gave her feelings of excitement she didn't know she was capable of feeling anymore, there was only one problem, sooner or later she was going to have to be honest with him, and the thought terrified her.

Luckily before she can dwell on what telling the hard truth to her new could-be boyfriend would mean, her doorbell rings. It's eleven O' clock, an acceptable enough time for a morning visit, still, she wasn't expecting anyone today. She checks the peephole and groans a little at the sight of her visitor, wondering for a split second if she should ignore it, instead she lets out a soft sigh and answers it, she is her friend after all.

"Hey girlfriend," Quinn says as Rachel answers the door for her, _just what I need to knock me off my cloud, the cruel reminder of exactly how pretty I'm not_ Rachel thinks to herself as she smiles weakly at Quinn. "I was in the neighborhood so I thought I'd bring you a latte," Quinn continues, handing her the hot beverage.

"Thank you Quinn, that's very thoughtful," Rachel says, opening the door a little wider to allow her friend inside, and they take a seat at the kitchen table together, sipping their lattes so neither of them have to speak right away.

"So," Quinn says, in a casual tone she's clearly putting on. "How did things go with Romeo last night? You seemed awfully cozy when we left." She notices the hint of jealousy in Quinn's voice, and she continues to wonder what her deal is, why she's so interested in Finn after one mundane meeting and a date in which they barely spoke to one another. granted it hadn't taken Rachel very long to take an interest in Finn either but Quinn didn't have nearly the same rapport with him as Rachel did.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I know you had business with Finn it's just, when we get to talking it's kind of hard for us to stop," Rachel admits.

"Yeah, I noticed," Quinn says, thinly veiled resentment still in her voice. "That's actually another reason I stopped by, I know you're friends so I thought that maybe you could put a good word in for me."

It's difficult for Rachel to know how to respond to that right away, surely Quinn must realize that Rachel has more on her mind than friendship.

"What about Noah?" Rachel finally offers.

"Rachel be serious,"Quinn says, rolling her eyes. "Puck and I have a lot of fun together, but he's not exactly the type I can see myself with long term." And by that Quinn must certainly mean that Finn is, and the thought admittedly makes Rachel a little more uncomfortable than she would ever admit.

"I just don't think you realize how much he likes you," Rachel presses on, trying to push the irrational jealous feelings away.

"He likes my ass maybe," Quinn says. "But Finn just seems so different you know?"

"Quinn, can I be perfectly honest with you?" Rachel says hesitantly.

"I know what you're going to say," Quinn replies. "He didn't seem interested, but I really think if we spent some time alone together-

"That's not what I was gong to say," Rachel interrupts. "You're my friend right?"

"Of course," Quinn says warmly.

"Then I think you should know that Finn and I, well... We kissed last night."

"Oh," Quinn says simply after a few moments.

"And it was wonderful, and he's wonderful and I really, really like him," Rachel says truthfully.

"That's... That's great Rachel," Quinn says with a weak smile. "You deserve to be happy, and I guess I should have seen it last night, I guess I just..."

"Didn't think he'd be interested in me," Rachel deduces, her voice hard.

"No, not at all," Quinn says, and something in her voice says that she means it. "I didn't think _you'd_ be interested, you haven't been interested in so long, and it's great that you're putting yourself out there again, it just speaks volumes that the guy who goes for you instead of me is a blind guy."

" What's that supposed to mean?" Rachel says, narrowing her eyes in hostility.

"Do you know what it's like to be me Rachel, do you have any idea at all?"

"I only wish I were that lucky," Rachel says grimly.

"I'm not lucky Rachel, far from it," Quinn says. "Do you really think that there's a single guy out there who gives a damn about who I am as a person, what I have to say? Do you think it matters to Puckerman that I graduated at the top of my class from Yale?"

"I'm sorry Quinn but I really don't know what you mean," Rachel says, knitting her brow in confusion.

"It means that all of the work I've put into being a smart, accomplished woman means nothing to the guys who only see me as a hole for their penis, that's what I mean."

"That's not true Quinn," Rachel says comfortingly.

"Of course it is," Quinn says. "But then Finn comes along, the one guy who may have the potential to like me for who I am and not what I look like, and he goes for you, because when you take looks out of it anyone would."

"Quinn you can't possibly think that," Rachel says in disbelief at Quinn's confession.

"Oh come off it Rachel, I may be smart, but I also have a tendency to be a bit of a cold bitch... Don't protest you know it's true," Quinn says, cutting Rachel off before she can reassure her. "But you, you're adorable, and sweet and you bake and you're just as smart as I am and talented in ways that I could only dream of, of course Finn would choose you."

Rachel must admit that she's caught completely by surprise by Quinn's confession, she never would have imagined that all of the time she spent being jealous of Quinn, Quinn had been just as jealous of her. Seriously who knew?

"Quinn, I know you think it sucks to be you, but it isn't any better being me," Rachel says, placing her hand over Quinn's. "Everyday men judge me for the way I look, the difference is they won't give me a second look because of it, hell, Jesse broke up with me because of it, and maybe Noah was just interested in your looks, at first, but do you know what he says about you now?"

"What?" Quinn says, perking up a little.

"Quinn is so cool, and Quinn is so confident and Quinn is a total badass."

"He thinks I'm a badass?" Quinn says, perking up even more.

"Remember that field trip to the Gershwin I accompanied you and your students on? How you completely chewed out that high school kid who kept picking on one of your kids, I told Noah about how you made him cry and he thought it was just the coolest thing ever."

"Really?" Quinn says, smiling a bit.

"You're a very pretty girl Quinn," Rachel says sweetly. "But you're a lot more than that."

Quinn smiles warmly at her friend, and Rachel knows that she's gotten through to her.

"I had no idea," Quinn says. "When we're together all he ever talks about is how I look."

"Well, maybe it's time to give him another chance," Rachel says, shrugging.

"Maybe," Quinn agrees. "But enough about me, tell me more about this kiss, was it good?"

"Oh my god it was the best ever," Rachel says dreamily. "His lips are like crack."

"That's so great, I'm so psyched for you," Quinn says, appearing to mean it this time. "So, does he know?"

"About what?" Rachel says nervously, feigning cluelessness.

"About the reason Jesse St. Jackass broke up with you."

"Well it hasn't really come up," Rachel says unconvincingly.

"Rachel you have to tell him," Quinn says firmly. "If you like him as much as I think you do you can't keep something like this from him, that's no way to start a relationship."

"Quinn it's because I like him that I can't tell him the truth," Rachel says. "I finally found someone who likes me for who I am not what I look like, I don't want to lose that."

"Rachel, he likes you, he really likes you, you should have seen the two of you at dinner last night, I felt like I was watching The Notebook

"Sure he likes me now, he likes the way I talk, he likes the way I sing, he likes spending time with me, but what happens when his sight comes back, what if he sees me for the first time and doesn't like what he sees?"

"All the more reason to be honest with him," Quinn says. "You don't want to waste your time with a shallow jerk wad who isn't going to accept you for who you are."

"Quinn, you don't know how long it's been since I felt this way, I just want to savor this for as long as I can," Rachel says. You can understand that right? I mean, isn't that what you wanted too?"

"I just don't want to see you get hurt, that's all," Quinn says gently.

Before Rachel can offer more words Finn and Kurt return, making the corners of Rachel's lips turn up immediately at the sight of last night's date.

"Hey guys," Rachel beams.

"Hi Kurt, hi Finn," Quinn says amicably. "I was just visiting with Rachel, if I knew you were coming back so soon I would have brought more coffee."

"No worries, it's nice seeing you again Quinn... And I really have to find a different term for that," Finn says sheepishly.

"Nice seeing you too," Quinn replies.

"So how was your appointment?" Rachel says brightly, getting up from her chair.

"Well Dr. Sylvester says that Finn is making terrific progress already," Kurt says, and Rachel knows that she should be happy, and she is, for him anyway.

"That's great," Rachel says. "Kiss," and at that she stands on her tiptoes to kiss Finn's cheek.

"What was that?" Finn says, knitting his brow in disappointment, and at that he feels for her lips with his fingers, making her giggle a little and moreso when he bends down to place his lips where his fingers just were, kissing her softly and sweetly until her lips soften under his, making her just as weak in the knees as she was the night before.

"So this is happening now?" Kurt says drily.

"What can I say?" Finn says, detaching his lips from Rachel's. "The girl broke my willpower."

"That's it, double date, you and Rachel, me and Blaine, I won't take no for an answer," Kurt replies.

"Kurt we haven't even been on a single date yet, unless you count the pizzeria, I want to have her to myself for once," Finn chimes in.

"I'd like that," Rachel says.

"But not before we get our first weekly visit with overprotectivus," Kurt reminds Finn.

"Damn, I totally forgot about that," Finn says, rubbing his forehead in mild frustration.

"Forgot about what?" Rachel says confusedly.

"It's nothing, Finn's mom is just coming to visit tomorrow."

Meeting the mom already, this was bound to be interesting.

**I think this is the first time I've written Quinn and Rachel as friends (I could be wrong) odd considering how popular that pairing is with the fandom, I have nothing against Faberry friendship, I guess it just hasn't come up until now, but there's a first time for everything, anywhoo as always, Stay Tuned Folks!**


	8. Visitors

He has to admit that he's dreading this visit, not that he doesn't want to see his mother, before she married Kurt's dad it was just the two of them, so of course they shared something of a special bond, tighter than that of the usual mother and son duo. He's not anxious because of her, he's anxious because of Rachel. He knows he shouldn't be, under normal circumstances Carole would absolutely love Rachel, but these were far from normal circumstances. Falling for a girl this soon after his injury wasn't bound to go over well...

Wait a minute... He thinks to himself, knitting his brow in contemplation, that can't be right, he can't be falling for her already. He likes her, a lot, she's sweet and talented and a wonderful cook and mighty skilled with those lips, but falling for her? The thought is just a little too intense for even him to comprehend, how could he expect his mom to understand? All he knows is that he has to talk to Rachel. He finds her room with some delicate maneuvering, and knocks softly, a smile immediately reaching his lips as she answers the door.

"Hi Finn," she says, and with her usual warning she presses her lips to his, making him immediately forget what he was about to say.

"Something on your mind?" she says after a few moments of silence.

"Um yeah, well as you know..." he starts, trailing off.

"Is this about your mom?"

"Well yeah," he admits. "The thing is, I..."

"You're not sure how to explain our relationship to her considering the circumstances of your injury," she says as a statement rather than a question.

"Wow, you're really making this easy," he chuckles.

"Well, we're friends right, nothing wrong with having friends," she says a bit hesitantly.

"Rachel, I think you know I don't want to be your friend," he says under his breath.

"I don't want to be your friend either," she says breathlessly, and he can feel the heat from her body as she inches closer to him and his hands touch her waist, and she kisses him again.

"Lets not be friends then," he whispers huskily into her mouth. And her soft hands cradle the back of his neck while they kiss and he holds her closer.

"You want to go in my room and make out and talk about this later?" she says between long, hot kisses.

"Totally," he agrees as she backs him up toward her bed. and they lay down together, kissing with heated abandon. All thought leaves Finn's head as he presses her up against the mattress and she removes his glasses, getting them out of the way to deepen their kisses.

"Finn," she gasps as his lips skim over her neck and his hand grazes her smooth thigh. "Finn, I..."

"Yeah?" he responds, his voice muffled.

"You're just really, _really_ good.

"You're not so bad yourself," he teases, and kisses her again, his mouth grazing her cheek until he finds her lips again. He feels like he can do this all day, just one more reason to wish Carole were coming another time.

* * *

They agree not to go into too much detail about their fledgling romance with Carole, both deciding it's best not to worry her about too many things at once. The whole apartment smells like cookies, Rachel is nothing if not hospitable.

"So, I see you're going for the Veronica Lake look again today," Kurt says as he joins Rachel and Finn in the kitchen, and Finn's first instinct is to touch his own hair and clothes.

"Not you," Kurt sighs. "Rachel."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rachel says coolly.

"Yeah, who's Veronica Lake?" Finn says, feeling for the plate of cookies.

"Think Jessica Rabbit," Kurt explains.

"Oh," Finn says, taking a bite of oatmeal cranberry. "Hot."

"Yeah, if you're a cartoon," Kurt says cattily.

"Kurt we talked about this," Rachel says under her breath, and Finn can't help but wonder what it is they talked about.

"I know, I'm just sayin- but before Kurt can finish the doorbell rings, and Finn lets out a long sigh before getting up.

"I can get it if you want," Kurt says.

"I can answer a door Kurt," Finn says, reaching for his cane, and after a few tries he manages to get the door open.

"Hey mom," he says as he answers the door.

"Finn..." Kurt starts behind him, but Finn pays no mind to his interruption.

"How was your flight?"

"First of all I'm not your mother, second 'how was your flight?' that's the greeting I get after all this time?"

His blood nearly goes cold at the sound of her angry, familiar Spanish accent, this can't be happening, not now, not in front of her.

"Santana," he says in almost a whisper.

"At least you recognize my voice," she says and he realizes now that there are tears in her throat, and they intensify as she throws her arms around him, sobbing, making him flinch a little, luckily he's getting a little more used to the surprise touching.

"Santana," he says, hugging her back hesitantly. "What are you doing here? You didn't even call..."

"_I_ didn't call, what about you? I don't get so much as an email or a text letting me know you left the country and went blind? I come back from visiting my parents in Spain and you're just gone?" she says, still crying hysterically.

"Santana I'm sorry I didn't tell you but come on, what did you expect, you cheated on me, remember?" Finn argues.

"Just because I cheated on you doesn't mean I stopped loving you you moron," she carries on, breaking the hug "And it certainly doesn't mean you can just bail and forget to tell me."

"We weren't speaking, I thought you moved out."

"I was trying to give you some space for awhile, imagine my surprise when I come home and all your stuff is gone."

"So what it was just supposed to be me, you and your lesbian lover under one roof?" Do you not see why that would be a little awkward for me?"

Everything goes silent at that point as everyone in the apartment is at a loss for what to say, this was the last thing anyone was expecting to happen.

"Are you still here?" Finn says hesitantly.

"I'm still here," Santana answers, her voice soft.

"Santana, this really isn't the best time," Kurt says, breaking the silence. "Our mom is coming and-"

"Who's this?" Santana says, cutting him off.

"Um, well Kurt you've met," Finn says. "This is Rachel, she my, well we're..."

"I'm Kurt's roommate," Rachel explains, and he can tell by her voice how uncomfortable she is right now. "You must be Finn's ex."

"Santana," Santana says. "It's nice to meet you."

"San I'm sorry, but you really shouldn't be here right now," Finn says.

"So what, that's it, you're just never going to talk to me again?"

"I will, if that's what you want," Finn agrees. "Just go back to your hotel and I'll call you when I get done okay?"

"If you don't I swear to God I will find you Finn," she says darkly. And as he hears her footsteps walking away he breathes a low sigh."

"Well that was weird," Kurt says.

"Tell me about it," Finn agrees. "I can't believe she came all the way here."

"And I can't believe you agreed to meet with her," Kurt replies.

"I had to get her to leave somehow, besides, she's right, we do need to talk, it's not like I'm mad at her anymore," Finn says.

"I know, but isn't this sort of the opposite of moving on?" Kurt says.

"I have moved on Kurt," Finn explains. "What do you think Rachel, do you think I should go?" she hasn't spoken in awhile, and he's anxious to hear her opinion knowing how weird this must be for her.

"Well," Rachel starts hesitantly. "I don't know Santana, or how you were as a couple, but judging from what I just saw, she cares about you a great deal, maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing to talk it out."

"It's up to you," Kurt says defeatedly.

"But you're sure she's gay right?" Rachel says in a way that only seems like she's half joking.

"Totally," Finn assures her. "When we were together I barely ever got any."

"Well then yes, I think you should go," Rachel says, sounded relieved.

It takes about five minutes for the doorbell to ring again, and this time it actually is Finn's mother, which he has to admit is a relief after the surprise that was Santana visiting.

"Oh Finn, Honey," Carole beams as she greets her son. "It's so great to see you."

"It would be great to see you to," he jokes as she enters the apartment.

"Hello Kurt," Carole continues. "And You must be Rachel."

"Hello Mrs. Hummel it's lovely to meet you," Rachel says warmly.

"It's lovely to meet you too sweetheart," Carole beams. "I hear you've been just wonderful these past few days."

"Well it's been a pleasure having Finn here," Rachel says. "We wish it could be under better circumstances. But you'll be happy to know he's made terrific progress."

"Rachel's right," Kurt agrees. "His prognosis is really strong and he's been out and about with no problems at all."

"Love you guys talking about me like I'm not here," Finn teases.

"So, out and about huh?" Carole says, clearly feigning nonchalance. "out and about doing what exactly?"

"26 mom, I'm 26," Finn reminds her.

"Oh honey I know it's just, it's a New City and you're still getting used to the..."

"Not being able to see thing?" Finn says, finishing for her.

"I just want to make sure you're staying safe, that's all."

"Well let's hope I don't have to get too used to it," Finn says. "The doctor says there still a good chance I'll get my sight back partially if not completely."

"But in the meantime Rachel really has been great helping him," Kurt says with enough suggestiveness in his voice to make Finn want to shoot him a look if he had the ability, Kurt just really couldn't help his mouth sometimes, and Finn really wishes he would have taken the time to explain to him that he didn't want his mother knowing about his budding romance with Rachel just yet.

"Well I would have thought that would have been your job," Carole says.

"Oh I don't mind, really," Rachel says, "My job has a lot more flexibility than Kurt's, besides, me and Finn get along so well."

"Oh just swimmingly," Kurt cuts in.

"Really Kurt," Finn sighs, annoyed.

"What Kurt means is..."

"Finn, is something going on between you and this young lady." Carole says, interrupting Rachel.

"No, not at all," Rachel replies a bit nervously.

"26 Finn, you're 26," Kurt says, repeating Finn's words. And as much as he hates Kurt right now he has to admit that he's right, it's not like Carole can do anything about him seeing Rachel if he wants to, and he definitely wants to, but that wasn't going to make the conversation that ensued any less awkward.

"We've been on one date," Finn admits.

"And we kissed but it wasn't Finn's idea," Rachel says frantically.

"Not that she took advantage of me or anything, I mean, I wanted to kiss her," Finn says.

"All I mean to say is that you don't have to worry about Finn becoming sidetracked, he is fully committed to his healing process," Rachel explains. "The kissing is completely relegated to Finn's free time and I can assure you, it won't be a distraction in any way... Please don't hate me."

"Oh sweetheart I don't hate you," Carole says after a few silent moments. "I'm just happy my son has found such a nice girl to spend his time with, don't get me wrong, Santana had her good qualities but I always thought she was a bit rough around the edges."

"Well I can assure you my edges are perfectly smooth," Rachel says adorably. "Also you will be pleased to know that I am not now nor have I ever been a lesbian, although I fully support her lifestyle,"

"Well honey if you and Rachel want to see each other don't let me stop you," Carole says brightly, and finally Finn's awkward grimace dissolves into a smile. "Just please be careful when you're on your outings, it's all I ask."

"We will mom," Finn says.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Rachel starts again. "I baked, it's a firmly held belief of mine that guests should always be greeted with cookies."

"I think that's a belief that's definitely worth subscribing to," Carole says, and Finn's smile widens once he realizes what's happening, his mother already loves her, she really couldn't be any more perfect.

They spend the whole day together, and it's actually pretty nice, and Finn loves how much Rachel and Carole get along, Carole even does mom things like calling her dress darling and suggesting a hairstyle that doesn't hide her pretty face, and he again wished that he didn't have a brain injury that hid Rachel's pretty face from him, although what she looks like is becoming less and less relevant the longer he knows her, he still can't help but be curious.

After his mother departs he asks Kurt to be his guide to Santana's hotel, thinking it wouldn't be appropriate to ask Rachel, and in spite of his reservations he agrees.

Santana seems to have calmed down when he greets her the second time, although he has no physical cues to go on, she says hello to him with a bit less of an edge in her voice.

"Hey Santana," Finn says as he enters her hotel room, Kurt in tow.

"I'm not here," Kurt says. "I just helped Finn find the place. I'll be in the hallway if you need me."

"Thanks Kurt," Finn says as he enters the room and Santana shuts the door.

"So, you wanted to talk," Finn continues. "Talk."

"You're being weird," Santana says. "It's like you're not even pissed at me anymore."

"Well that's because I'm not," Finn admits. "I'm glad you've found someone that makes you happy."

"That doesn't mean you didn't Finn it's just..."

"I have a penis, I get it," Finn says. "The truth is I kind of knew, I mean the way you were always looking at Brittany, it was kind of hard to deny, but I did for so long because, well, you were sort of my best friend. And I just didn't want to lose that."

"You don't have to," Santana says.

"But you know things can't just go back to normal."

"I know," she admits in defeat. "But I guess this is good right. And that Rachel girl seems nice, I mean she's way too short for you, I imagine you'll get back problems over time from bending down to kiss her, and her hair makes her look like she has half a face, but other than that I approve."

"Wait a second, is it really that obvious that we're dating?" Finn says, knitting his brow in confusion.

"It was mostly a shot in the dark but I figured there had to be a reason you got over me so fast, to get over one girl you get under a new one, it's, how you say, textbook."

"Well I haven't actualy been _under_ her yet," Finn says sheepishly. "We've only been on one date. But I really like this girl Santana, I mean she's like the coolest chick on the planet."

"Wow, if only you could see your face right now," Santana says. "Somebody's got it bad."

He said he was going to take things slow, and he meant it, at the time. But at this rate this rate it was only a matter of time before getting under Rachel was a reality, and he had to admit the idea didn't suck.

**Stay tuned folks!**


	9. Progress

The next few weeks pass in a blissful blur, as Rachel spends every possible moment with Finn, talking about everything and nothing, strolling through the city hand in hand, making out furiously against every surface of the apartment, him exploring her body with his hands the way he can't with his eyes, and the more time she spends with him the more she finds herself falling for him, for his kindness and talent and adorable bumbling charm, and the more time she spends with him the harder it becomes to bring up the subject of her damaged face. At first it was simple insecurity keeping her from telling the truth, now it's guilt, how can she possibly admit that she kept something like this from him for this long? But every time she considers telling the truth the words get lost in the overwhelming fear of losing the greatest guy she's ever been with. If he isn't turned off by the fact that she isn't nearly the vision of beauty he seems to think she is, surely the fact that she lied to him will do the trick. In spite of it all, she's worried about him, about the fact that his vision hasn't improved yet, as crazy as it seems, she wants him to be able to see again, to live the full and happy life that he deserves, even if it means losing him.

The longer he goes without his sight the more frustrated he becomes, he's trying to hide it, she can tell, he's always so sweet and genial around her, but she can see the worry in his face nonetheless, and it worries her just as much. His doctor insists that the healing process takes time, and there's no telling how much, but it's been over a month and he still can't see a thing.

His mother is concerned too, she's kept her promise about visiting every week, but Rachel doesn't mind at all, she loves Carole, and the feeling appears to be totally mutual. And today while Finn is away at the doctor Carole joins Rachel in her ritualistic baking, making a chocolate pie for Finn to come from his doctor's appointment to. "okay you're going to add the cream to the saucepan gradually and stir, just keep stirring."

"You know I was never much of a baker, but I must say this is quite nice Rachel." Carole says as she follows Rachel's instructions.

"I've always found baking to be very soothing," Rachel explains. "The only time I'm not unbearably high strung is when I'm whipping together something sweet and comforting." She won't admit to Carole just yet is the only other time is when she's with Finn.

"Finn just loves your little treats," Carole says warmly. "He's always raving about them."

"Really? That's so sweet," Rachel says, blushing a little.

"I wasn't supposed to say anything but I don't think my son has ever felt this way about a girl before, it's so nice seeing him this happy."

"I love seeing Finn happy too," Rachel agrees. "I know he's worried about his condition, he doesn't like to talk about it but I can see it. If I can do anything to help him through it I'm happy to."

"Oh honey, you really must think I was born yesterday don't you?" Carole teases.

"I don't follow," Rachel replies.

"Everything you're doing for Finn, it's not just you trying to brighten up an injured man's day, it's love sweetie."

Love? Rachel thinks silently to herself, she has to admit it doesn't sound completely off base, in fact it sounds almost accurate, okay, completely accurate.

"Is it that obvious?" Rachel says her cheeks growing hot.

"It's all over your face," Carole says. "Or half of it, honey I hate to sound like a broken record but I really wish you wouldn't hide behind your hair like that." before Rachel can stop her Carole has moved her long bangs to the side, and as Carole takes in the sight of her scarred visage, Rachel's body freezes in terror. After a split second Rachel combs her hair back down over her face, and Carole's hand reaches her mouth, her eyes going wide in surprise.

"Oh Rachel," Carole says sympathetically. "What happened sweetheart?" Rachel doesn't answer right away, she turns her back toward Carole, hanging her head in shame.

"It was a terrible car accident," Rachel starts "One of the girls from this show I was in was driving us to Jersey to have dinner with her family, I dropped my iPod in back so I unbuckled my seatbelt to find it and a truck rear ended us. My friend was fine but I went right through the windshield. I was lucky to be alive but it came away from it looking like this."

Rachel realizes now that she's crying, and Carole comes up behind her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Finn doesn't know," Rachel continues, wiping at her tears. "I'm so afraid to tell him."

"Honey you can't keep something like this from him, what if-

"His sight comes back?" Rachel finishes. "I hope it does, I really do, you have to believe that, but I just... I can't. He's going to be so mad that I kept this from him, and I can't lose him Carole. You're right, I love your son, and I wish that I could be the beautiful girl that he deserves but I can't."

At that Rachel dissolves into tears and turns to hug her boyfriend's kind, sympathetic mother, who hugs her back without hesitation.

"Rachel, you're exactly what my son deserves," Carole says, rubbing Rachel's back in wide circles. "You're a kind, wonderful girl that loves him."

"But I lied to him," Rachel says.

"He'll understand," Carole insists. "Do you know how I know?"

"How," Rachel says, wiping her tears.

"Because he loves you too."

"You really think so?" Rachel says with a weak smile.

"A mother knows these things," Carole says with a wink. "Now what do you say we finish this pie, and when Finn comes home you can have a nice little sit down with him?"

Rachel breathes deeply, trying to calm herself for long enough to get into the mindset required to tell Finn the truth. And she nods once, prompting Carole to give her hand an encouraging squeeze before returning to her pie-making duties.

When Kurt arrives home with Finn the state of her hair is the only clue he needs to know that Carole has been clued in, they all knew it was only a matter of time, luckily she agreed to leave the truth telling up to Rachel.

"How was your appointment?" Rachel says as Finn enters the room, but the look on his face doesn't suggest anything good, he looks more sullen than she's ever seen him, and he doesn't even comment on the fact that the whole apartment smells like chocolate.

"it was fine," he says dourly. "Mom, Kurt's going to drive you back to the airport I just need to be alone for awhile."

And before any of them can say anything Finn has disappeared into Kurt's room, shutting all of them out.

He stays locked in Kurt's room for the rest of the day, not even leaving to hug his mother goodbye, and Rachel truly wishes she knew what to do, she tries offering him pie, he rejects the offer, Finn never rejects baked goods courtesy of Rachel. She asks him if he wants to talk about it, he says he doesn't, and he's still locked in Kurt's room if only Kurt wasn't staying at Blaine's tonight, maybe he could do a better job of forcing Finn out of his room.

It isn't until well after midnight that Finn finally leaves the room to use the bathroom, presumably because he figures Rachel would have turned in by now, but while she usually goes to bed early, tonight is an exception as she stays up late waiting for Finn to finally leave the room. She waits for him to exit the bathroom before she tries approaching him, but the combination of grogginess and blindness doesn't allow either of them to get very far before he trips on Kurt's magazine rack.

"God I told him not to move anything," Finn fumes in frustration, Rachel doesn't say anything about the fact that it's in the same place it always was, she simply kneels down to help him up.

"Come on Finn let me-

"I can do it myself!" he yells, interrupting her and yanking his arm away. And Rachel takes a step back, swallowing the tears that have formed in her throat at his hostile, very un Finn-like behavior.

"Rach," he says after a few silent moments, his voice softening. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you, you didn't do anything wrong okay?"

"It's alright," she says, her voice breaking a bit.

"I'm just so sick of her saying that everything looks normal and I'm making terrific progress, if I'm making such terrific progress why am I still like this?"

She kneels by his side again, placing a hand on his shoulder, and it's a little upsetting to both of them that he's gotten so used to being blind that he doesn't need to be warned anymore.

"I'm just really scared Rachel," he continues. "I don't want to be stuck this way, I want to see... I want to see you."

"I want you to see me too," she says in almost a whisper, cupping his face with her hand, and he leans into it as she wipes away a stray tear with her thumb. She knows this isn't the time to tell him, that he's already upset, but she means it, she wants him to see her, she wants to know that he accepts and loves her every bit as much as she accepts and loves him. But for now she thinks it's enough that he knows just how much she feels for him. She leans in then, attaching her lips to his in a kiss that makes everything seem a lot less awful, and he deepens it, finding her waist with his hands and pulling her closer to him, until their bodies are perfectly entwined.

"Wait," Finn says huskily into her mouth as she begins to undo the buttons on his shirt. "This is really happening isn't it?"

"You know, I think so," she teases, kissing him again.

"Cool," he chuckles as they stand up and begin to back their way into Rachel's room, kissing deeply and passionately, not stopping even as they collapse onto her bed, removing clothes until there's nothing left but the two of them skin to skin, and making out as if each others mouths are their only source of oxygen.

"Finn, before we do this, there's something I have to tell you," she says as he starts to cover her neck and bare shoulder with soft kisses, her heart pounding the whole time.

"There's something I have to tell you too," he replies.

"You first," she says.

"okay," he says, exhaling sharply. "I know it's only been a month, but I just, I feel like I've known you forever, like I can tell you anything and you'll always understand, and you're just so smart and talented and fun to be with and well..."

He trails off then, and Rachel badly wishes he would finish, because nobody has ever said something that sweet to her before.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is..." he starts again after an eternity. "I love you Rachel."

And she knows, right then that she has to tell him, she can't go on like this, lying to the man that she loves, the man who loves her, the man who has always made her feel beautiful in a way she never knew she could feel anymore, but before she can say anything else she has to tell him that she loves him too."

"I love _you_" she says, choked up with happy tears, and before she can continue he kisses her again, sending her confession to the back of her mind, there's no way she's going to ruin this moment.

she kisses him back, on his lips and his face, and he kisses her everywhere his mouth can reach, his inability to see making it hard for him to land his kisses in any specific place, but she doesn't mind at all, he can kiss her anywhere he wants, and he does, moving his lips down the span of her slender, naked body, over her collarbones and firm breasts and the smooth expanse of her tummy, and the soft sensitive area right below her belly button, and as he tortures her slowly with his mouth she realizes she can't take anymore, she needs him inside, and now. Silently she guides him back up, meeting her lips with his once again, and she opens her legs around him then, letting him dive into her without another thought, and as he fills her she lets out a soft sigh, filled with emotion and love for this man.

"You're everything, you're perfect," he pants as he continues to rock and grind against her, creating that irresistible friction between them that threatens to send her over the edge with each movement and they.

"I love you," she replies breathlessly after what feels like an eternity of exquisite torture "So much."

"I love you, too." he grunts as they ride the wave together, reaching that perfect moment together, unraveling against each other completely.

They fall asleep together then exhausted from their activities. In the morning she'll tell him everything, but right now she lays blissfully in his arms, her head filled with happy thoughts and pleasant dreams.

* * *

"Rachel?"

"Good morning Finn," she says groggily before falling instantly to sleep again.

"Rachel wake up," he says, his voice excited as he begins to shake her a little.

"huh, wha-" she starts, disoriented and only half awake. She blinks a little as she sits up, looking across her bed at Finn, and it only takes her a moment to realize he's looking back at her, for the first time his eyes aren't unfocused, they're looking right at her, and he squints as he reaches for her face, his hands touching her lips.

"Finn?" she says, confused, not understanding exactly what's going on.

"It's you," he says, a beaming smile on his face "I mean, you're blurry, and gray, but it's you."

Her heart seizes at the declaration, and a smile reaches her lips too. "Are you saying..."

"My eyes," he finishes "they're coming back."

**Stay tuned folks!**


	10. The Eyes Have It

He can't help but feel as if he's dreaming as he looks upon his lover's face in the early morning sun. She's too blurry for him to make out any details, but still, it's so much better than not being able to see her at all, did say that his sight would come back gradually, and it thrills him to know that her image will become sharper and clearer over time. And he imagines being able to look into her eyes while she gives him the most mind blowing sex he's ever experienced again and again and the thought makes everything that much more amazing.

"I can't believe this," he says excitedly. "I'm finally starting to see again, and just when I was starting to think it was hopeless."

"That's so great Finn," she replies, and in all of his excitement he pays no mind to the hint of sadness in Rachel's voice.

"I have to tell Kurt, we have to see Dr. Sylvester." at that he kisses her, not having to use his hands to find her lips this time but as he leaps out of bed, throwing on his boxers and starting toward the door she grabs his wrist, stopping him.

"Finn, wait," she says frantically, and at her ominous tone he knits his brow and stops in his tracks, sitting back down beside her.

"What's wrong babe?" he says, running a hand over her hair.

"There's something I have to tell you," she says, her voice breaking, and he wishes he knew why her voice were breaking, this is the happiest he's been in weeks, but she seems completely miserable. "Something I should have told you right off the bat but I just didn't know how. And I know this is the worst possible time to do this to you but at this point to not tell you would only be delaying the inevitable."

"Okay Rach you're starting to scare me, what happened, did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all Finn, you've been perfect, you are perfect," she assures him. "It's about me, I took advantage of your injury for my own personal gain and I feel terrible about it."

"What do you mean?" he says, his voice hard.

"I think it would be better just to show you," and she takes his hand in hers then, bringing it up to her face, the scarred area around her eye that she's slyly tried to keep him from touching for the past month, and at the feel of the damaged, welted skin his face becomes even more confused.

"What is this?" he says, perplexed.

"It's me," she says simply, shrugging. "my face was disfigured in an accident three years ago... I didn't tell you because, I just... You were so wonderful and I was so afraid that you wouldn't accept me if you knew that I wasn't the beautiful girl that you thought I was, so I kept this from you and I'm so so sorry, and I'm even more sorry about ruining what should be an amazing moment for you, I just had to tell you, I can't lie anymore."

There's only silence then as he drops his hand, deep in thought, after everything that had happened, this is the last thing he was expecting to hear. He had such a clear picture in his head about what Rachel would look like, and he knew upon seeing her for the first time that it wouldn't be totally accurate, still, he can't believe what he's hearing.

"Please say something," she says quietly.

"Are you okay?" he says softly. "I mean is it..."

"The damage was mostly cosmetic, everything else healed a long time ago," she assures him.

"So you just lied, all this time?" he says, knitting his brow a bit angrily. "After everything?"

"Finn it wasn't like that, I didn't lie."

"But you didn't tell me the truth either," he shoots back, and he gets out of bed again then, and so does she, throwing on her clothes as fast as she can as he does the same.

"I wanted to I just...

"You just what? Hoped that you would never have to right?" he spits.

"No that's not it," she cries. "It's just for once in my life I wanted someone to see past this, to love me for me."

"That's not fair Rachel," he shoots back. "To love you for you means to love all of you, even the parts you aren't so proud of. The fact is you didn't trust me to see past the way you look. You think of me as every other bastard who's only after a piece of ass."

"Some of the greatest guys in the whole world still want a pretty girl Finn, it's just the way it is, Jesse claimed to love me too but the second he knew that I would never be beautiful again he left."

"Jesse is an asshole," Finn fumes. "I'm not like that, and maybe if you would have been honest with me you would have realized that."

"I do," she says pleadingly, meeting him on the other side of the bed. "I know you're not Jesse I just-"

She can't finish her thought, but he has an idea of what she's trying to say.

"No, you don't know that," Finn says. "You didn't even give me a chance to prove that I'm not."

"Finn please-

"I have to go," he says coldly, and without another word he darts out, seeing enough to not need the cane anymore.

"Finn what's going on? I heard you two fighting in there," Kurt says as he makes his way to the front door.

"I'm going to Dr. Sylvester's, you coming or what?" and Frantically, clearly moved by whatever he's angry about, Kurt follows.

"Finn, what happened?" Kurt says, trying to keep up with Finn's long strides. "Is your sight back?"

"A little, yeah," Finn says coldly, not slowing down.

"That's great Finn, see I knew it was just a matter of time," Kurt says, still clearly perplexed by Finn's behavior.

"Oh yeah," Finn says, turning to face his step-brother. "What else did you know that you didn't tell me," he says angrily.

Finn doesn't have to explain any further for Kurt to know what he means.

"I wanted to tell you, she asked me not to." Finn simply nods in understanding. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know, I kind of bailed."

"Finn how could you do that, you're just confirming everything she's been worrying about since she met you," Kurt says angrily.

"It's not like that," Finn explains. "I'm not upset because of her face, I mean I still don't even really know what she looks like. I'm upset that she lied."

"She only lied because she really likes you Finn," Kurt explains.

"If she likes me so much then why didn't she trust me?" Finn says. "I would have understood, I mean, I love Rachel I don't care-

"Wait a minute, back up," Kurt says frantically. "Did you just say you love her?"

At Kurt's words he thinks about the last month, about getting to know Rachel, spending time with her, singing with her, laughing with her, kissing her, making love to her, and his lips turn up a little in a smile.

"Of course I do," Finn says warmly "I just wish she wouldn't have lied to me, it seems like all women ever do these days is lie to me."

"Well in Rachel's defense it's men in general she doesn't trust, not you, looks like you have more in common than you thought," Kurt says, nudging him a little.

"That Jesse douche must have really messed her up huh?" Finn deduces.

"That's putting it mildly," Kurt says. "At least Santana turned out to be somewhat human."

When he thinks about someone as wonderful and kind and adorable as Rachel Berry being rejected so harshly by someone who claimed to love her, he can begin to imagine how painful that must have been for her. Maybe there really was more to it than Rachel not trusting him.

"I don't know," Finn says, sighing. "I mean Rachel's the greatest girl ever, when we were together last night-

"Oh my god, you guys did it last night?" Kurt says teasingly. And although the blush that reaches his face at the question is probably enough of an answer, he nods and smiles, confirming it.

"We totally did," Finn says gleefully.

"And you woke up this morning with your vision partially restored, she must have really been good," Kurt jokes.

"Well I'm pretty sure that part was a coincidence, but yeah, she really was," Finn says with a sly grin.

He has to talk to Rachel. But he thinks he'll let her suffer a little longer first.

The Doctor doesn't know if or when his vision will be completely restored, or if he'll ever be able to see colors again, but for now it's sharp enough to be considerably improved with a pair of glasses, they warn him not to wear them all the time, lest his eyes become too dependent on them and not improve on their own, but when he puts them on it feels like a whole new world, everything is still a little fuzzy and gray, like an old silent movie, but it's a vast improvement, and as they return home, he can't help but feel a bit apprehensive about seeing Rachel, between Dr. Sylvester and the optometrist it's been hours, and things didn't exactly go over well the last time he and Rachel were together, and he figures she hasn't called because she's been afraid to, but he's cooled down now, and ready to talk, really talk about why she lied and whether they can get past it.

He figures she's shut herself in her room, because the living room is empty and quiet when him and Kurt return.

"I'll be in my room if you need anything," Kurt says, patting his brother on the back comfortingly before he disappears into his room, and Finn hesitantly goes to Rachel's bedroom and even more hesitantly knocks.

"Rachel," he says, his voice soft.

"Go away," she replies, her voice muffled.

"Rachel come on, open up, you owe me that much," he continues, and after a few agonizing moments she finally appears behind the door, opening it reluctantly, as if trying to protect herself from his rejection.

The first thing he notices besides how ridiculously tiny she is, is the big, gorgeous eye that he can see poking out from behind her curtain of thick dark hair, long and flowing, and his eyes trail down to her lips, plump and full as he imagined them to be when he kissed her for the first time, and all he can think about when he sees her is how beautiful she is, but he knows that he isn't seeing all of her, that she's still not letting him.

"Oh my god," she says, deflating. "Those glasses just make you look sexier," she continues, as if disappointed. "Can you see?"

He doesn't speak as he reaches for her hair, pressing on even as she cowers a bit, and as he gently pushes it to the side, tucking it behind her ear, he takes in the sight of her scarred face. It's not as striking as it probably would be if he could see properly, but it's still clearly there, the long scar starting at her forehead and ending at her cheek, rendering one eye a bit smaller than the other, and branching out in smaller scars along the side of her face. His jaw tightens and he swallows hard, and he can tell that she's waiting for him to speak and by the way her head is down he can tell that she's afraid of what he has to say.

"Yeah," he finally replies. "I can see."

Noticing the double meaning in his words she nods softly and forces a weak smile.

"I'm so happy," she says, her voice breaking. "I really am, I just knew that you were going to be okay Finn."

"Rach I-

"And I know it doesn't mean much now but I really am so sorry I lied to you, that wasn't right and you deserve better, I was just so afraid of losing you that I couldn't do it, and that's my fault, please don't blame Kurt."

"Rachel-

"You need to know Finn that it's not that I didn't trust you to accept me, I just couldn't accept myself, and I'm trying really hard to because I'm so tired of hiding from the world, and I especially don't want to hide from you because I love you so much, and I know that I completely blew it with you, but I just hope that...

He realizes then that the only way to stop her rambling is to attack her lips with his, so he does, silencing her rant. He kisses her until all of the tension falls out of her body and she melts against him, running her fingers through his hair the way she always does, and he holds her close to him as they kiss in her doorway, and he really hopes the action gets across the way he feels about her better than his attempts at words can.

"You kissed me?" she says breathlessly as their lips part.

"I did," he says with a smile in his voice, stroking her hair gently and looking into her eyes the way he's wanted to do for what feels like a lifetime.

"But I thought you didn't want me anymore, I thought you were mad at me."

"I am mad at you," he says. "But that doesn't mean I don't want you."

"Even, after seeing this?" she says, putting her head down and pointing toward her face.

"Would you stop?" he says, tilting her chin up to make her look at him. "You're beautiful."

He can just make out the tears beading in her eyes at his words.

"You really think so?" she says quietly, and he nods earnestly.

"I just wished you believed it too," he replies, and as she breaks down in tears even more he takes her shaking body into his arms, rubbing her back and whispering soothing words to her.

"It's okay Rachel," he whispers softly into her ear. "I'm not Jesse, and I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

As she wraps her arms around his waist, returning the embrace, he thinks she believes him.

_One chapter before the epilogue, stay tuned folks!_


	11. Karaoke Night

It doesn't take long for things to get back to normal, well, as normal as they can be. Although Finn is still angry at her for lying initially, he comes to understand why she did, and tells her as much. It's difficult for her not to feel a little silly about lying now, when they're together it's as if he doesn't even notice the scar, even as his eyesight steadily improves over time. She's still self conscious about her face, and she knows that he can tell, the first time he catches her trying to comb her hair down over it he pulls her hand away gently and kisses her fingers, giving her a warm smile that makes her weak in the knees, everything he needed to say to her in that smile. She hasn't tried to hide it since.

Today is not unlike any other they've spent together in the last two months, they watch tv on the couch, her tucked into his side as he holds her hand in his, and once they very quickly get sick of whatever is going on on the television she finds herself underneath him as they make out on the couch, the noise from the television drowned out by their own chaotic thoughts. They take advantage of Kurt not being home as Finn slips his hand beneath her shirt, making her tremble and start to plant kisses along her neck, making her giggle and thrash a little, only urging him on.

"Finn that tickles," she manages to choke out through her laughter.

"Yeah that's kind of the point," he says, taking a pause before reattaching his lips to hers.

"So, what did you want to do tonight?" she asks as he starts to run his mouth down her cleavage, making her breath speed up.

"This," he murmurs against her chest as she begins to unbutton his shirt. "this, all day."

"That does sound like a day well spent," she agrees, "But Kurt wants the apartment to himself tonight, Blaine's coming."

"Stupid Kurt," Finn says deflating against her. But then he looks up, knitting his brow in contemplation. "You know, my eyes are a lot better now, with glasses I can see almost as well as I used to."

"I know, I'm so happy for you Finn," she says sweetly, a smile on her lips.

"So I'm thinking maybe it's about time I start looking for work again, I mean I'm going to need my own place eventually."

At that her smile falls and his face becomes concerned.

"What, what's that look?" he says a bit frantically.

"You want to move out?" she says, her voice squeaking a little, "But don't you like it here?"

"Of course," he says, sitting up from her and allowing her to sit across from him. "I love being here with you, but we both knew this was only supposed to be a temporary thing, I just thought, you know, eventually..."

"I know that," she says, forcing a weak smile. "I'm just going to miss you always being here."

And he leans in then to kiss her sweetly, letting her cup his face and deepen the kiss.

"This will be a good thing, trust me," he says confidently, breaking their embrace. "Now every time Kurt kicks you out of the apartment you'll have somewhere to go, you can have a key and everything. And maybe, you know a little bit down the line we can, you know, both live there... Together."

Her face brightens at the suggestion, she can't believe that he's thinking this seriously about their relationship already. The truth is she has too, she just never knew how to bring it up. She closes the distance between them again, showing her love and appreciation for him in that simple gesture.

"You really love me don't you?" she says, her arms still around his neck, a smile in her voice.

"I'd be an idiot not to," he replies and he kisses her again, once again lowering her back on the couch.

* * *

They decide to meet up with Puck and Quinn that night for karaoke, it's corny but Rachel loves it, especially since she always sings the pants off of everyone else, even Finn, Quinn and Puck, who all have great voices themselves, usually for karaoke she wears the Veronica Lake hairstyle, but tonight she decides against it, for once feeling confident enough to give her entire self over to the audience, the look of pride on Finn's face when she leaves the bathroom all decked out for karaoke night warms her heart, and she truly loves him, more than she can possibly say.

"You look beautiful," he whispers softly in her ear before pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, making her blush.

They reach the club early, deciding to have a drink at the bar top before Puck and Quinn arrive, but the second they enter Rachel stops short at the double doors, holding Finn back by the hand, her eyes going wide at the sound of the voice emitting from the speakers, his voice. She'd know it anywhere.

_Dining at the Ritz we'll meet at nine, precisely I will pay the bill you taste the wine Driving back in style in my saloon will do quite nicely Just take me back to yours that will be fine_

"Oh no," Rachel squeaks at the sound of her ex boyfriend's annoyingly sublime rendition of the Queen classic. "Jesse," she continues in almost a whisper.

"Rachel, is everything alright?" Finn says, facing her.

"On the stage," Rachel explains. "It's Jesse. We have to get out of here, we can call Puck and Quinn, tell them to meet us somewhere else."

"Rachel you can't let that asshole ruin your night," Finn protests, glaring in the direction of the notorious ex. "If anything you should be rubbing your success in his face."

"_My_ success, Finn he just played Raoul in Phantom there's early talk about a Tony nomination on all of the message boards, if anything he's the one who should be rubbing his success in my face."

"I don't care how successful he is, he'll still be the loser who let you go," Finn says encouragingly. "Besides, I've seen Phantom, I'd rather watch Imaginationville any day."

She manages a soft smile at his words and stands up on her tiptoes to kiss him, she may not have a career as respectable as Jesse's, but it's still amazing in it's own right, and she has a love that most people can only manage to dream of, maybe she can rub her success in his face after all. As the song finishes Rachel takes a deep breath and smooths the front of her dress, ready to face the one person she hoped to never see again.

"Alright he's coming this way, try to look extra handsome," Rachel says, grabbing Finn's hand in hers.

"I'll try my best," Finn jokes.

"Rachel Berry," Jesse says brightly as he bounces toward her, she has to admit he looks good, his hair thick and perfectly tousled, his clothes stylish, his eyes still as blue and piercing as ever, she thinks he may even have a hint of a tan, God damn him.

"Jesse," she says, trying not to sound too nervous. "It's been awhile, how are you?"

"I'm great, I've been great," she says.

"Well you look..." she can't believe that he has the nerve not to finish that sentence. "Who's your friend?" he continues, changing the subject.

"I'm Finn," he replies. "I'm Rachel's boyfriend," he continues, proudly.

"Wow, good for you, see, I always knew you would find someone," Jesse says, and Rachel can tell by the hard look in Finn's eyes that he badly wants to pummel him, she can't say that she blames him.

"So Jesse," she continues as gracefully as possible. "I heard all about the play, congratulations."

"Yeah, it's been crazy, I have a profile in New York magazine and next week I'm being featured on Ovation News, they're interviewing me about my possible nomination."

"Well Rachel's been doing great too," Finn cuts in.

"That's right, I've seen your show, it's cute," Jesse says, a bit of condescension in his voice. "Not really my thing but still, congrats. So Finn, what do you do?"

She can see it, he's ready to pounce.

"I used to be a stage actor in London," Finn explains. "But now I dedicate most of my time to giving Rachel pleasure. It's the best job in the world, but I guess you have to be good at it to really appreciate it."

She tries not to laugh out loud at the look on Jesse's face, but a little snort comes out regardless, he's getting super laid tonight.

"Come on Rach," Finn says, taking her hand and leading her to the bar.

They actually manage to have a great time all things considered. Rachel brings the house down with her cover of Special by Garbage, and she hopes that Finn doesn't realize that the song is directed at Jesse, but she has a sinking feeling he does, she'll make it up to him later with a love song sung just for him. As the night wears on Puck and Finn stop a few hearts themselves with their take on Under Pressure, with Finn taking on Bowie and Puck tackling Freddy, and Quinn goes next with No Doubt, pulling Puck onto the stage as she sings about how he's really lovely underneath it all. It's a good night, and even though Jesse sticks around throughout she stops noticing him before long.

It's nearing midnight, and as she and Quinn finish a mildly slurred version of Fernando by Abba they stumble a little as they leave the stage. Rachel isn't exactly fall on her face drunk, but she's definitely buzzed enough to be even hornier for Finn than usual.

"Where's Finn?" she asks Puck as she returns to their table.

"Bathroom," Puck says simply.

She takes his word and starts toward it, maybe if there's no one around she can sneak in a quick make out session, but she realizes that probably won't be happening, she already hears talking as she approaches.

"So, I suppose you think you're pretty funny huh Finn?" she stops when she realizes that it's Jesse's voice, not wanting to eavesdrop but not being able to help herself. She peers around the corner, spotting Finn and Jesse near the bathroom, both men look angry and hostile, but they're clearly trying to hide the fact that they already get to each other.

"I have my moments," Finn says with a confident smirk.

"I know you think you have me all figured out based on whatever Rachel told you, but you have no idea."

"So I guess I'm supposed to believe that you didn't dump Rachel after her accident?" Finn says coolly.

"I wasn't like that," Jesse argues. "I'll admit the way Rachel looked was jarring, but I could have learned to accept it eventually."

"You shouldn't have had to learn to accept that," Finn shoots back. "You should have loved her no matter what."

"I did," Jesse protests. "But she was so depressed after what happened, she didn't want to see the light of day, she wouldn't talk to anyone, what was I supposed to do?"

"Be there for her when she needed you," Finn says without missing a beat. "Admit it, you were just looking for a reason to leave weren't you?"

"Is that what you want to hear, huh?" Jesse snaps. "that you're so much more evolved than I am, that you're the bigger man and I'm just some shallow jerk? Fine, feel better about yourself now?"

"I just don't get it dude," Finn sighs. "how could it be so easy for you to turn your back on her like that, she's just so..."

"I know," Jesse says. "Don't you think I know? It wasn't easy for me to walk away Finn, it was just easier than staying, and I know that sounds awful but what's the point in lying about it now?"

As she listens to their conversation somehow her heart manages to swell even more for Finn, something she didn't think was possible. He's getting super duper laid tonight.

"Look, if it means anything, I'm glad she's found someone to make her happy," Jesse says.

"Yeah, and that could have been you," Finn says. "I guess I ought to thank you for that."

At that Finn once again starts back toward the club, and she ducks away stealthily before he can spot her. Once she feels it's safe she rejoins the table, sinking into Finn's lap instead of her own chair and linking her arms around his neck.

"Do you know how much I love you?" she says in sing song, making Finn smile.

"That depends on how drunk you are right now," he replies.

"Not so drunk that you'd be taking advantage of me if we were to have intercourse tonight."

"Awesome," he says before pressing his lips to hers and pulling her closer.

"You guys have no idea how gross you are," Quinn says with an odd sort of affection in her voice.

"What can I say," Finn replies with a shrug. "I'm in love."

"Me too," Rachel says affectionately. "And I'm totally going to sing a song for you."

She gets up then, prancing up to the DJ and grabbing a slip so excitedly she doesn't even notice that Jesse is there until he shyly calls her name.

"Oh, hi Jesse," she says a bit coldly.

"So, I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry, about the way things ended between us."

"I'm over it, believe me," she says a bit spitefully.

"Oh yeah, is that why you kept giving me the stink eye during that Shirley Manson song?"

"That's how I got over it," she replies sharply.

"Well in any case I _am_ sorry, and I thought maybe we could sing a duet together, you know, for old times sake. We always did sound great together."

She looks at Finn then, he looks concerned, like he wants to come over but isn't sure if he should. She simply gives him a warm smile to put his mind at ease and faces Jesse again.

"I'm sorry Jesse," she says, her voice softening. "I wish you all the best I truly do...

And she looks at Finn again as she continues to speak,! a smile on her face that he returns with affection."

"... But I have a new duet partner now."

She hands the slip to the DJ then, and ascends the stage, ready to sing her heart out for Finn, and as she locks eyes with him, she knows that he'll always be listening.

** Stay tuned for the epilogue folks!**


	12. Epilogue

**Welcome to the epilogue, I want to thank you all so much for your support of this story, as always it's been a blast and a half writing this.**

The apartment is a cracker box, much smaller than Rachel's that's for sure, but it's his, and he can always get a bigger one later if they decide to keep him around on All My Children. And it's not so bad really, not once Rachel spruces it up with a few sophisticated touches, a framed vintage movie poster here, designer curtains there, a billion thread count sheets, aromatherapy candles in what Rachel says is the manliest scent there is, and of course more than one picture of him and Rachel together. Kurt warns him that she's marked her territory, the truth is he doesn't mind. Things are getting beyond serious between them and it's only a matter of time before his home is their home, just another reason to hope the soap gig pans out and he can get a bigger place. Being on the show feels a little cheesy to be honest, compared to Shakespeare anyway, and he can't imagine anyone really buys him as a top neurosurgeon, but it's fun, and it's nice to not have to wear tights for once.

He could tell that Rachel was nervous at first, with all of the pretty girls he would be working with, she didn't say anything about it because she knows he hates that, but he could tell. It wasn't until one of the hot extras blatantly hit on him in front of her when she visited him on set and her attempts at seduction went right over his head the way they always do (because he really is incredibly dense sometimes) that her mind was put at ease and life went on. In spite of Rachel's insecurities, which he knows deep down will always be there in some capacity, no matter how beautiful and amazing he says she is, they're happy.

The truth is he doesn't have to work so hard at his career, if he wanted to then he could let Rachel take care of them both at this point. After being hired for Seth McFarlane's newest show as a regular and snagging a role in the latest Pixar film, her career is nothing short of on fire, being famous for her voice is something she's always dreamed of, now it's actually real. It's a mixed bag to be honest, for Rachel it is anyway, because the more celebrated her voiceover work becomes the more public appearances she's expected to make, and she can only blow off so many TV interviews and cast photoshoots. For the most part Finn doesn't push her, he wants her to feel confident enough to show herself to the world, open herself up to it the way she opened up to him, but he wants her to get there on her own terms.

She's coming over again tonight, since Kurt and Blaine started seeing each other exclusively she's over more and more, and he can't help but think she seems withdrawn for some reason, distant.

"What's the matter Rach?" Finn says, reaching over his plate of eggplant parmesan to take Rachel's small hand in his.

"Oh, it's nothing," she says unconvincingly, shaking her head and forcing a weak smile.

"Rachel, we've been together almost a year, don't you think I know you at least a little by now?"

"It has almost been a year hasn't it?" she says, a beaming smile on her face, he knows she's just trying to change the subject, still that smile gets him every time. "What do you think we should do for our anniversary? I'm thinking Sardi's-

"Rachel," he says, gently cutting her off, squeezing her hand a little. "What's wrong? Tell me."

She lets out a low exhale and shakes her head a little, and she finally looks him in the eye. "Finn, how do you think my fans would really react to me, you know, if they saw me for the first time? I need you to be very honest with me."

He swallows hard, she's never asked him before, but he's been waiting for it to come up.

"You're not what they're going to expect," he admits. "I'm not going to lie about that."

She simply nods, understanding.

"But so what?" he continues. "Everybody loves you Rachel, they love your voice and your spirit and everything that makes you _you_ that's not going to change just because you look different than what they may have imagined. I know from personal experience."

"So you're saying you'd still love me if my entire body was covered in razor sharp scales?" she teases.

"I'd have to wear protective clothing when we cuddle but, yes," he answers without missing a beat. "What about me? Would you still love me if I gained like 800 pounds and couldn't leave my bed?"

"I'd sponge bathe you myself," she jokes, and he laughs and leans over the table to kiss her. "So, what brought this on anyway?"

She takes another deep breath and opens her mouth to speak. "I got a call today, from my manager... Finn I...

"What? What's wrong babe?"

"Nothing's wrong, everything is right," she says, a smile reaching her lips. "I got nominated for a daytime Emmy Finn."

His heart seizes a little and he can't control the smile that reaches his face, because he doesn't think he's ever been prouder of her, or anyone for that matter.

"Oh my god!" he exclaims, scrambling up from his chair and sweeping his tiny girlfriend up into his arms, twirling her around and making her laugh uncontrollably.

"That's so awesome Rachel, I'm so proud of you," he laughs, squeezing her tight once more and kissing her full on the mouth before setting her back down. "You're going to win I know it."

"That's the thing," she says, deflating once again. "It's always been my dream to get up on that stage in a beautiful dress and accept my award, of course I've always pictured a Tony, but still, this is big Finn."

"It's huge," he agrees. "It's great."

"I've arrived Finn," she continues, and he can see the tears beading in her eyes. "If I win this, I can't let someone accept my award on my behalf, I want that moment more than I've ever wanted anything."

"Then take it Rach," he replies. "What's stopping you?" and he sees the conflicted look on her face and it finally dawns on him. "Oh, oh Rach it's okay. It's going to be okay."

"Do you know that all of the magazines refer to me as 'reclusive actress Rachel Berry'?"

"Well I know that when Imaginationville had that panel at Comic Con this year you sat in the audience dressed as the tiniest, cutest storm trooper I've ever seen," he teases affectionately.

She smiles a little at that.

"Rachel," he sighs, and he takes her into his arms, stroking her hair. "You know I love you, and I don't want to lie to you. You have to stop this, you have to stop hiding baby. You've come so far and you need to show them how amazing you are, really show them."

"That's the thing," she says. "I don't want to hide. I don't want to be 'reclusive actress Rachel Berry' anymore. I want to be 'Emmy award winning actress Rachel Berry.' When I win, I want my moment."

"So you're going to go?"

"Only if you'll be my arm candy for the night," she says hesitantly. And he kisses her with every ounce of love in his heart, so proud that he can hardly contain it.

"I'd be honored," he says. "But wait, what if you lose?"

"Oh Finn be serious," she says, rolling her eyes.

"That's my girl," he says, smiling warmly, and combing her hair behind her ears. And he kisses her again. "Rachel, I know you get really annoyed when I waste food but as delicious as this eggplant parm is, I really don't see myself finishing it."

"And why is that?" she says, crossing her arms over her chest in faux-irritation.

"Oh I think you know why," he says devilishly, sweeping her up bridal style and carrying her to his room as she giggles madly all the way.

She wins the daytime Emmy, and accepts it with grace, poise and humility. It's considered one of the most triumphant moments in television history. Everyone loves her. But not as much as he does, because that's just not possible.

**That's all folks!**


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